


Skystar's Spirit

by oflgtfol



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Ghosts, Minor Character Death, Natural Disasters, Nightmares, Original Character(s), Original Clans (Warriors), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Prophetic Dreams, StarClan is a more of a religion than simply a clan of dead cats, Visions, duskstar: i have made skypaw an apprentice, sweetrose: you fucked up a perfectly good cat is what you did. look at him. he's got anxiety.
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-05
Updated: 2018-06-01
Packaged: 2019-02-13 18:37:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 16
Words: 47,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12990114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oflgtfol/pseuds/oflgtfol
Summary: Born on the night of the bleeding moon with his sister Bramblepaw, Skypaw longs for a normal life. For as long as he could remember, he felt as though his life were spinning out of control. Meanwhile, a prophecy develops behind his back that spells out disaster for all four Clans. Before Skypaw knows it, life as he knows it ends, and he must aid in the revival of the Clans all while growing up in an increasingly hostile world.





	1. I. Allegiances

**CLOUDCLAN**

LEADER: Duskstar — brown tabby tom with amber eyes  
DEPUTY: Cedarsong — dark gray tabby she-cat with white chest _(Apprentice, Pebblepaw)_  
MEDICINE CAT: Sweetrose — light brown she-cat with dappled coat  
WARRIORS: Thistletail — mottled gray tom  
Eagleclaw — brown tom with white legs and tail tip  
Badgerfang — black and white tom with pale blue eyes _(Apprentice, Dustpaw)_  
Roseheart — pale ginger she-cat with white paws and tail tip  
Silverfrost — silver tabby she-cat  
Sunshadow — large golden tabby tom  
Aspenleaf — calico she-cat with green eyes _(Apprentice, Owlpaw)_  
Whitepool — white tom with gray paws  
Mistfur — dark gray she-cat with lighter patches  
Lichenpelt — gray-brown tom with green eyes  
APPRENTICES: Owlpaw — light brown dappled tom with a white face  
Dustpaw — pale gray-brown tom  
Pebblepaw — blue-gray she-cat  
QUEENS: Darkbreeze — black tabby she-cat with blue eyes (mother of Duskstar's kits, Bramblekit and Skykit)  
Kestrelwing — ginger she-cat (mother of Whitepool's kits, Applekit, Maplekit, and Snowkit)  
KITS: Applekit — calico she-cat  
Maplekit — ginger tom with white chest and paws  
Snowkit — white she-cat with gray patches  
Bramblekit — tortoiseshell she-cat  
Skykit — gray tom with pale blue eyes  
ELDERS: Shade-eye — black tom with blind amber eyes  
Flamefoot — ginger tom with a graying muzzle  
Raincloud — blue-gray she-cat

 

**HEATHERCLAN**

LEADER: Falconstar — light brown tom  
DEPUTY: Dapplefur — pale gray, dappled tom  
MEDICINE CAT: Pinepelt — dark brown tabby tom  
WARRIORS: Hollycloud — black tabby she-cat  
Redwhisker — dark ginger tom with green eyes _(Apprentice, Petalpaw)_  
Hedgeflower — calico she-cat  
Willowflight — brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes  
Stonefrost — stone-gray tom with blue eyes _(Apprentice, Cherrypaw)_  
Riversong — blue-gray she-cat  
Breezefall — black tom  
Gingerleaf — ginger she-cat with green eyes _(Apprentice, Blackpaw)_  
APPRENTICES: Petalpaw — ginger tom  
Cherrypaw — dark ginger she-cat  
Blackpaw — calico tom with black tail  
QUEENS: Hazelberry — silver she-cat with green eyes (mother of Stonefrost’s kits, Blizzardkit and Halfkit)  
Nettlethorn — light brown tabby she-cat (expecting Redwhisker’s kits)  
KITS: Blizzardkit — white tom with blue eyes  
Halfkit — gray tom with blue and green eyes  
ELDERS: Spiderstep — dark gray and black she-cat  
Quailwing — pale gray tom with darker spots

 

**FOXCLAN**

LEADER: Beechstar — golden tom  
DEPUTY: Doestep — light brown tabby she-cat with white chest and paws  
MEDICINE CAT: Fernpool —  ****pale gray she-cat with green eyes _(Apprentice, Hawkpaw)_  
WARRIORS: Volestripe — dark brown tabby tom _(Apprentice, Mosspaw)_  
Dawnsong — pale golden tabby she-cat  
Embercloud — black tom with lighter patches _(Apprentice, Marshpaw)_  
Alderface — tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes  
Gorsepelt — white tom  
Thornwhisker — brown tabby tom  
Vinefoot — light brown tabby tom with green eyes  
Honeypool — golden she-cat  
APPRENTICES: Hawkpaw — brown tabby tom  
Marshpaw — light brown tom with blue eyes  
Mosspaw — tortoiseshell she-cat  
QUEENS: Pansy — pale ginger she-cat (mother of Fallenkit and Petalkit)  
Stormheart —dark gray she-cat with pale blue eyes (mother of Embercloud’s kits, Nightkit and Rainkit)  
KITS: Fallenkit — cream she-cat with black markings  
Petalkit — calico she-cat  
Nightkit — black tom with a white spot on chest  
Rainkit — dappled gray she-cat  
ELDERS: Moletooth — dark brown she-cat  
Mothclaw — black and white tom  
Whiteheart — light brown she-cat with a white chest

 

**SAGECLAN**

LEADER: Rowanstar — ginger she-cat with amber eyes  
DEPUTY: Flowerfall —  ****calico she-cat  
MEDICINE CAT: Ravensong —  ****black she-cat with pale blue eyes _(Apprentice, Cloverpaw)_  
WARRIORS: Lakefur — blue-gray tom  
Rabbitleaf — brown and white she-cat  
Creekstripe — gray tabby tom  
Thrushfeather — light brown tabby tom  
Barktail — mottled gray she-cat with amber eyes _(Apprentice, Acornpaw)_  
Dewflower — golden tabby tom  
Ripplestream — white tom with gray patches  
Otterclaw — brown tabby she-cat  
APPRENTICES: Acornpaw — dark brown tabby tom  
Cloverpaw — white she-cat with light brown patches  
QUEENS: Robinheart — silver she-cat with icy blue eyes (mother of Ripplestream’s kit, Violetkit)  
Bluesky —  ****blue-gray she-cat (expecting Creekstripe’s kits)  
KITS: Violetkit —  ****pale gray she-cat with blue eyes  
ELDERS: Brindlepelt — dappled brown tom  
Troutfur — gray-brown tom

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i started working on this over the summer, so i've got some chapters done already. i'm hoping to update weekly while i can  
> i'll also be posting this on the warrior cats amino [here](http://aminoapps.com/p/mwrk94) as well. there you can see the cover i made for the fic, as well as the territory maps.


	2. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which they are warned

A black tabby queen laid watching the moon, her swollen belly wet with melting snow. She sat a few fox lengths away from the camp entrance, nestled between two damp rocks rather than enjoying the comfort of the warm cave behind her. It was early new-leaf, but the cold did not care, bringing with it late snow that melted soon after. A gentle breeze tugged at the ends of her fur. Her blue eyes were raised towards the near-full moon as it rose steadily in the night sky. She swore she saw a dark tint to its one side against the cool indigo of the night, one that hadn’t been there before, but she was given no time to ponder it as she heard paw steps in the snow behind her. The she-cat turned around to face the newcomer. The approaching tom's amber eyes lit up with joy as they met hers.  
  
"Darkbreeze!" He called to her, picking up his pace until he was floundering in the snow. Darkbreeze purred at the sight.  
  
"Hi, Duskstar," Darkbreeze greeted once he stood beside her.  
  
Duskstar pressed his nose to her cheek. "How are you?" He settled down next to her with a quick lick to the ear. "I can hardly stand to be away from you nowadays. It could happen any second!"  
  
"Ah, but the Clan needs you," Darkbreeze chided playfully. "I'm fine. No need to make a fuss."  
  
“But what kind of father would I be if I were to miss it?” He cast his gaze upwards, towards the bright stars that were just appearing in the sky. “So help me, StarClan, nothing will stop me from being there.”  
  
Duskstar's eyes flicked towards the moon. It was only intended to be a quick glance, naturally drawn to the sole light source that was proving to be quite bright for his sensitive eyes. Yet, once he looked, he could not stop, transfixed as he was upon the large white disk. Something was not right. A significant portion was cut out of the left side, making it appear as a crescent. He had seen it earlier, he knew it had been full.  
  
Before his eyes, he saw drops of blood drip from the bottom of it, until the flow grew heavier and ran in thin streams down the sky. It stained the whole sky red, creeping up the tiny sliver of moon that remained as well until the shaded part no longer appeared black, but red.  
  
A voice whispered in his head, " _Blood shall be born anew, flowing in rivers of life and death_."  
  
A sharp cry broke through Duskstar's trance. He shook his head violently, searching around him for the source of the noise. He found it to be Darkbreeze, who had sat up and hunched over, her face scrunched up in pain.  
  
"Darkbreeze, what's wrong?!" Duskstar struggled to his paws - why did his legs feel as though he hadn’t moved for an eternity? - and stepped closer in concern.  
  
She flinched away with a gasp. "It's happening."  
  
Duskstar recoiled, shocked, but a pelt brushed his as a new cat plodded through the snow to reach his mate. He recognized the light brown dappled coat of the medicine cat, Sweetrose.  
  
"You've begun kitting?" Sweetrose asked Darkbreeze, careful to keep her voice gentle in the face of the queen's pain.  
  
"Yes," she replied weakly.  
  
"Bring her inside the cave to the nursery," Sweetrose told Duskstar. "I'll go fetch some herbs. I'll be quick."  
  
By now, eyes had begun glowing through the tunnel of the camp entrance as cats stuck their heads out of the den tunnels, drawn by the commotion. A large shadow separated itself to bound towards them, revealing a golden tom once he stepped outside, his fur fluffed out against the cold.  
  
"Need any help?" He asked as he reached them.  
  
"Yes, please, Sunshadow," Duskstar replied. He leaned his shoulder against Darkbreeze while Sunshadow did the same on the opposite side. With their support, the queen was able to stumble into the camp, down the nursery tunnel, and collapse in her nest.  
  
Sweetrose entered the den at that moment, clutching various leaves he couldn’t identify in her mouth. She set the bundle down and side-eyed the two toms.  
  
"It'd be best if you two left, to make it more comfortable in here," she said pointedly. There was already another queen, Kestrelwing, with her own three kits in the den. The den at the end of the tunnel was wide enough only to accommodate queens and growing kits; two adult warriors would only overcrowd it. Duskstar nodded jerkily, worry and excitement clawing at his stomach simultaneously. He ducked through the exit with Sunshadow on his heels. He could hear Sweetrose pointing out which herbs she had and their uses behind him as he left.  
  
He sat down heavily on the stone floor outside. "I'm going to be a father," he murmured. He dipped his head, thoughts whirling, and managed to spot the moon through the tunnel out of camp. Only then did he remember what had occurred right before Darkbreeze began kitting.  
  
The moon was entirely red, and if he focused he could almost see the blood dripping off it again. His paws tingled with fear. The omen did not bode well for his mate and kits. At the edges of his vision, he saw the shadows of his clanmates grouped together with their heads down. Their whispering was only audible as a faint echo from the cave walls, but it crowded against his senses all the same, amassing into a singular voice of doubt and apprehension. He wished they would all go back to sleep.  
  
Duskstar watched as the moon sank in the sky, but the red was fading simultaneously and the left side grew bright once again. Sweetrose called him back inside and only then did he look away, but he knew that the cats at the edges of the camp continued to observe and mumble about omens among themselves.  
  
"Darkbreeze and the kits are extremely weak. It was a difficult kitting, but they'll make it through," Sweetrose informed him once he entered. He purred, his heart filled with joy and relief.  
  
"Thank you," he told her before turning towards his family.  
  
Darkbreeze was sprawled out in the nest, her flank rising and falling heavily. By her stomach were two scrawny kits, mewling pitifully. One was pale gray while the other was a tortoiseshell.  
  
Duskstar lay down next to them, licking Darkbreeze's shoulder. Her eyes opened slightly, two blue slits. She purred quietly.  
  
"What do you want to name them?" He whispered to her.  
  
Darkbreeze lifted her head up slightly to look at their kits, her eyes warm. She nosed the tortoiseshell, who mewed loudly at the intrusion. "How about Bramblekit for her?"  
  
"Wonderful," Duskstar purred. He rested his tailtip on the gray one's head, watching as the kit's ear twitched. "And I think Skykit suits him."  
  
"I love it," Darkbreeze replied. "I love them. I love you."  
  
Right then, the voice entered his head again. He could barely hear it as it whispered, " _Beware that which you value most_."  
  
Trying not to reveal his alarm, Duskstar forced his fur to remain flat. "I love you too," he told her before resting his head on her shoulder. Already half asleep, she didn't seem to notice his hesitation in answering. He pushed the prophecy out of his mind, hoping to at least be able to have the night with his family before anything went wrong. Nevertheless, it took him several minutes to relax enough to fall asleep.


	3. Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which they grow

A nose poked Skykit's flank, promptly waking him up from his slumber. Jerking awake, he fell out of the cozy nest with a quiet _oof!_ A chuckle behind him was his only warning before his world shifted once again as teeth closed around the scruff of his neck and pulled him back into nest.  
  
He turned around to face his mother, a whine building in his throat. Her blue eyes narrowed, as though she knew what was to come and wanted to avoid it. He flattened his ears and clawed at the moss under his paws instead.  
  
"Now, now," Darkbreeze murmured, nudging his paws to make him stop. "I'm sorry for the rude awakening, but that gives you no right to go around destroying the nest. I woke you because everybody else is outside and I would like some sun as well."  
  
Skykit looked up at her, his eyes squinting as he thought. "Can I sleep outside with you then?"  
  
Darkbreeze sighed. "I'd rather you go find the other kits and see what they're doing. I'm sure your sister is up to no good."  
  
Skykit and his sister were younger than the other three kits, who were almost old enough to be apprenticed. They were significantly larger and played rougher; they intimidated him, and he would prefer to play with his sister without the others. He scowled at the thought of them.  
  
Darkbreeze once again grabbed him by the back of his neck after he went too long without budging. He squeaked in protest but stayed still until she put him down outside the den.  
  
"Mom!" He complained, quickly moving to lick his fur down before the other kits could see him being carried by his mother.  
  
Darkbreeze purred and licked the last piece of fur for him. "I'll be over there with Kestrelwing." She pointed with her nose towards the ginger queen lounging by the camp entrance, slanted sunlight illuminating her fur. Skykit nodded in response and set off to find his sister. Almost immediately he spotted her sitting still across the cave, staring intently at some point he couldn't identify.  
  
He padded up to her, surprised she wasn't getting into mischief. "Hi, Bramblekit," he greeted cautiously.  
  
"Hello, Skykit," she replied calmly, not turning her gaze towards him.  
  
"What are you up to?" He inquired, sitting down next to her. He tried to use the position to see what she was looking at, only to find it was the tunnel entrance to the medicine cat's den, the inside perfectly visible from where they were sitting. He could see Sweetrose's tail whisking about as she worked. He felt a stone lodge itself in his belly.  
  
"Nothing," she responded, her voice sounding distracted.  
  
"Do you want to be in there?" He asked quietly, against his better judgment. "Do you want to be a medicine cat?"  
  
"Maybe."  
  
Her answer only made the stone lodge itself deeper. He had suspected for a while, but hearing it from his sister herself didn't lessen his disappointment. Skykit wanted to be an apprentice alongside his sister; he wanted to become a warrior and hold their vigil together, to fight by her side and protect their Clan. His vision of the future suddenly seemed a lot more uncertain and lonely.  
  
"Oh," was all he said, blinking as he tilted his head away from Sweetrose's den. His tail twitched absent-mindedly behind him.  
  
Excited yowls broke the quiet as Skykit was suddenly knocked flat on his stomach by a body, only a bit larger than his, falling on top of him. He yelped and attempted to push the stranger off him, but the weight only lifted once they stood up on their own. He looked up to see the upside down green eyes of Maplekit staring back at him.  
  
Skykit righted himself to properly face the older kit. Maplekit's two littermates, Applekit and Snowkit, stood behind him.  
  
"What was that for?!" Skykit lashed his tail.  
  
Maplekit tilted his head indignantly. "You were in the way!"  
  
Snowkit moved forward to stand beside her brother. "Sorry, Skykit." She dipped her head. "I pushed him into you. I didn't know you were there."  
  
"Why are you apologizing to this little rabbit-brain?" Applekit huffed. She looked down at Skykit with a cool expression. He resisted the urge to cower, instead opting to do the opposite and puff out his chest.  
  
"I'll have you know that this rabbit-brain is the son of your _leader_ !" He announced venomously.  
  
Bramblekit was looking on uncertainly, paws kneading the ground anxiously. She looked as though she were itching to join in on Skykit's side, but she was also eyeing the medicine cat's den as well. He figured that she wouldn't want to get into a fight when medicine cats were normally excluded from battle, but before he could fault her for it, her amber eyes hardened with resolve and she stood by him, paws braced on the ground, ready to spring forward.  
  
He blinked at her gratefully, but before anybody could leap into battle, a leg stepped between the two groups. Skykit peered upwards to see his father's familiar brown pelt.  
  
"What's going on here?" Duskstar's voice was strong and stern, allowing no nonsense.  
  
"He started it!" Skykit pointed with his tail towards Maplekit. Tense silence followed.  
  
"Snowkit shoved Maplekit into Skykit on accident," Bramblekit finally elaborated. "She apologized but Maplekit didn't, and then Applekit called Skykit a rabbit-brain."  
  
"Is this true?" Duskstar asked, more gently this time. All the other kits nodded sheepishly. "It's no need to get into a fight over. Everyone, apologize now." Skykit grumbled an apology and Maplekit and Applekit returned it with equal reluctance.  
  
"Leave the battles to the warriors next time, alright?" Duskstar ruffled Skykit's head with his tail before padding away. Maplekit stalked the opposite way, his sisters following suit, though Snowkit looked back apologetically before bounding away after her littermates.  
  
Skykit grunted. "The nerve of those two!"  
  
"Oh, leave it be, will you?" Bramblekit responded, rubbing her face against his cheek affectionately. "I'm sure you'll grow into the largest, fluffiest warrior the Clan has ever seen, if only to prove them wrong!"  
  
"You bet!" He lifted his head up proudly. "Let's go see if Shade-eye and Flamefoot have any stories for us."

  
«——————»

  
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Tallstone for a Clan meeting!"  
  
Duskstar's yowl rang through the clearing, beckoning Skykit out of the nursery, away from Darkbreeze's impromptu washing. A moon had passed, and Bramblekit had slowly gravitated more and more towards the role of a medicine cat. He frowned as he spot her set a clump of moss down outside the medicine cat's den.  
  
Darkbreeze nosed him out of the way. "Neither of us are going to be able to hear if you sit in the entrance all day," she murmured. He watched her pad into the clearing where the rest of the Clan was gathering and settle next to Roseheart and Aspenleaf. Kestrelwing and Whitepool sat in front of them, washing Maplekit, Applekit, and Snowkit quickly, their pelts quivering with pride.  
  
Skykit trotted towards Bramblekit and sat down next to her. "StarClan, I wish that were us," he muttered, letting jealousy taint his voice.  
  
"We still have two more moons to go," she answered with a similar tone.  
  
"The time has come for three more apprentices to begin training. CloudClan needs all the loyal warriors it can get." Duskstar beckoned Applekit forward before he leaped off the Tallstone to meet her. Eyes wide, she stepped closer. Skykit snorted; she had lost all her previous bravado.  
  
"Applekit, from this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Applepaw." Duskstar's eyes flitted around the group before him before settling on a brown tom. "Eagleclaw, you are ready for an apprentice. You will be Applepaw's mentor. May you guide her with all the respect and honor you hold."  
  
Applepaw and Eagleclaw touched noses before moving to the side. Applepaw's green eyes were still wide, but Skykit couldn't tell whether it was due to fear or excitement. Duskstar approached Maplekit next.  
  
"Maplekit, from this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Maplepaw. Silverfrost, you have mentored many apprentices. You will be Maplepaw's mentor. I ask you to once again pass down your patience and wisdom."  
  
"He'll certainly need it," Skykit whispered to Bramblekit as a silver tabby she-cat stepped forward and touched noses with Maplepaw. Bramblekit jabbed a claw into his side to quiet him.  
  
"And lastly, Snowkit," Duskstar greeted. "From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Snowpaw. Your mentor will be Lichenpelt." Duskstar turned to the gray-brown tom. "Lichenpelt, you have shown yourself to be courageous and loyal. I expect you to hold your apprentice to these standards as well." Snowpaw bounded over to her mentor and the two touched noses.  
  
The slanted sunlight lit up the edges of her fur as though she were glowing, a star descended from Silverpelt. Skykit stared, remembering how kind she had been to him while her siblings treated him like a worm. He shuffled his paws, self-conscious.  
  
"Applepaw! Maplepaw! Snowpaw!" The cats in the clearing yowled the new apprentices names. The noise drew Skykit's attention away, and he joined in quietly, distracting him enough so that he didn't notice his father making his way towards him until he had already arrived.  
  
"It'll be your turns soon enough," Duskstar purred.  
  
"Two more moons," Skykit repeated what his sister had said earlier glumly.  
  
Duskstar licked the top of his head. "It'll be here before you know it, Skykit." He turned towards Bramblekit. "What about you? How are you feeling?"  
  
"I want to be Sweetrose's apprentice," Bramblekit blurted out. "That is, if she'll have me." She looked down at the ground shyly, shuffling her paws.  
  
"Oh, Bramblekit!" Duskstar purred, pulling her closer to him to nuzzle her. "She'll be delighted! I'm delighted myself, and I'm sure Darkbreeze will be too!"  
  
Skykit turned away, his heart burning with what he could only guess was envy and frustration. Neither of his parents had doted on him in that way.  He found his paws taking him towards the elder's den. Raincloud, the youngest of the three elders, looked up as he plodded in.  
  
"What's got you in a bad mood?" She called. She had been washing her ragged blue-gray pelt, though now it seemed more gray than blue with age. Skykit could see Shade-eye and Flamefoot curled around each other in the corner, fast asleep.  
  
"Nothing," he grumbled. Skykit laid down next to her, looking at his paws. "Do you have any happy stories you could maybe tell me?"  
  
"Oh sure, I've got plenty," Raincloud purred. She glanced warmly at the two other elders in the corner. "It was the day I got my warrior name, and Flamefoot and Shade-eye - he was Nightfire back then - already had their warrior names for maybe a moon or so..."


	4. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which they part

Skykit woke to voices outside of the nursery, hushed with barely restrained emotions. He sat up groggily, swaying in the nest. Bramblekit shuffled in her sleep, forcefully shoving him back to make herself comfortable again, but unfortunately sending him toppling out of the nest. He flopped onto the ground with a quiet groan.  
  
“You know, I really don’t appreciate the routine that’s starting to develop,” he grumbled before sitting up and shaking out his fur. His mind cleared fully once he realized it was his mother and father speaking outside, their voices carrying down the den’s entrance tunnel. He shuffled as close as he could without peering around the tunnel bend, trying to hear.   
  
"-you been doing that you only have four lives left?!" Darkbreeze hissed softly, voice betraying her fear and pain.   
  
"I'm sorry, Dark," Duskstar murmured. "The stag was getting too aggressive. If I hadn't intervened, Pebblepaw would've been killed."   
  
"That accounts for now, but what about before?" Darkbreeze's voice cracked. "I don't want to lose you too soon."   
  
"You won't, I promise."   
  
Skykit felt shame prickle his pelt for intruding on his parents' private conversation. He rose to his paws and stuck his head out of the den tunnel, blinking as though he just woke up.   
  
"Good morning, Skykit," Duskstar welcomed him warmly. "You're up early." Skykit could see that it was just past dawn, late enough for the cave to be completely lit as the sun hovered above the horizon.   
  
He yawned. "Bramblekit pushed me out of the nest." He examined his father discreetly, spotting the places where cobwebs and poultices had been applied where StarClan had not healed him. He decided that in order to seem less suspicious, he had to ask about it. "What happened to you? Was there a fight by the border?"   
  
Duskstar eyed Darkbreeze before leaning down to look at Skykit with a level gaze. "A stag smashed me with its antlers and sent me flying. But it's alright, it's nothing more than a few scratches."   
  
Skykit narrowed his eyes. He knew that his father had been much more seriously injured. Before he could call him out, Bramblekit's mew rang out from behind him.   
  
"That sounds like you should have more than just a few scratches." She padded up beside Skykit and sat down, curling her tail around her paws. He figured her growing expertise in healing helped her figure it out, since he only knew from eavesdropping.   
  
Duskstar's eyes flashed before his tail drooped with defeat. "Ah, yes, you're right Bramblekit. I should've known better than to lie about such matters to the future medicine cat." He looked between his two kits. "Yes, I lost a life from it. That's all you two need to know. You're still too young to worry about these things."   
  
Skykit shuffled his paws. His father was content enough to lie to him, but not his sister, simply because she would become Sweetrose's apprentice?   
  
"But Duskstar! We're five moons old already. We're almost apprentices!" Bramblekit has jumped to her paws with eagerness. "If I were any older you'd never had lied in the first place because I'd be the one patching you back up!"   
  
Duskstar didn't answer, but instead purred and nuzzled the top of her head while Darkbreeze joined in. Loneliness and bitterness rose in Skykit. His paws itched to leave, so he did, slipping away towards the elders' den while his family wasn't watching. Over the past moon since Bramblekit had told Duskstar she wanted to train as a medicine cat, Skykit had taken refuge with the elders more often than not. They never ran out of stories and they were always eager to have a young cat's company.   
  
Skykit peered down the tunnel, not wanting to disturb the elders if they were still sleeping. Raincloud was, but Flamefoot and Shade-eye were awake and sharing tongues. Flamefoot had his back towards him, but Shade-eye's head lifted as he entered.   
  
"Is that little Skykit I smell?" The blind tom called out. Flamefoot turned around and blinked warmly at him.   
  
"What are you doing here so early?" Flamefoot asked, shifting closer towards his mate to make room for Skykit to lay down next to him. Skykit settled down in the space, enjoying the warmth of the old tom.   
  
Skykit didn't answer Flamefoot, but instead asked, "How long has my father been leader?"   
  
Shade-eye tilted his head in consideration. "At least four seasons."   
  
Flamefoot ran his tail along Shade-eye's flank. "Probably closer to six."   
  
"Is that long for a leader?" Skykit stared at his paws.   
  
Shade-eye flicked his ear. Neither of the two elders spoke at first.   
  
"I'll take that as a no," Skykit muttered.   
  
“Well, it’s not really a no, nor is it a yes.” Shade-eye nudged his cheek. "What's with all these questions young one?"   
  
Again, Skykit didn't answer. "Is Duskstar a good leader?"   
  
"Well we haven't made any major enemies during his leadership." Shade-eye shrugged.   
  
"No wars," Flamefoot added.   
  
"He's handled trouble remarkably well, and few cats have died for it," Shade-eye finished, nodding his head with an air of finality. "Now will you finally answer our question now that we've answered yours?"   
  
Skykit sighed. "Duskstar lost a life today." He figured it was safe to tell them, since his father would likely address the Clan about it once everybody was awake.   
  
The two elders shared a look, although Skykit didn’t understand how. "Are you worried about him?" Flamefoot pressed, voice gentle.   
  
"I feel like I'm worried about everything." Skykit shrugged.   
  
Shade-eye shook his head. "Much too young to be feeling that way. That's a shame."   
  
"Well, you're five moons old already, aren't you?" Flamefoot nudged him, trying to evoke some enthusiasm. "You'll be an apprentice soon!"   
  
"And then I'll have more to worry about."   
  
Flamefoot looked at his mate helplessly, even if the other tom couldn't see.   
  
Skykit rose to his paws. "Sorry for bothering you two. I'll leave you to yourselves." He padded out of the den, tail drooping.   
  
The late greenleaf sun was quickly approaching sunhigh, leaving the camp in cool darkness as the cave’s overhang blocked it. He headed towards the cave wall where it was the coolest, unsure of what to do. From his spot he could spot his sister busy in the medicine cat's den, already basically an apprentice. _No need to wait for six moons,_ he thought bitterly, lashing his tail.   
  
"What's got you in a bad mood?" A massive golden tabby stood next to him, peering down at him. Skykit froze where he stood, staring up in awe, shocked that he hadn't noticed the warrior and that such a warrior was speaking to him. Skykit didn't respond, at a loss for words. Instead, the warrior followed where Skykit had been gazing before being interrupted and nodded in understanding. He sat down next to him. Skykit shuffled his paws, unsure of what to do.   
  
"I'm Sunshadow. I doubt you even know me, what with you and your sister being so reclusive." He purred. "I've never seen kits as quiet and unobtrusive as you two."   
  
"I'm Skykit," he squeaked.   
  
"Yes I know, little one." Sunshadow gazed down at him with warm blue eyes. "Did you know that I was there when you were kitted? Or, I was outside at least."   
  
Skykit blinked in surprise. "No," he admitted.   
  
"It was a rough kitting for your mother. Me and your father had to bring her to the nursery; she could barely walk there herself. Sweetrose kicked us out to make room. Duskstar was such a mess, he was so anxious."   
  
"Wow," Skykit breathed. Duskstar was always so busy being Clan leader, and whenever he could make the time for his kits he was always cooing over Bramblekit with Darkbreeze. Skykit could barely restrain a scowl.   
  
"You two were weak kits, but you both held on. The entire Clan was relieved," Sunshadow finished, looking away uneasily, as though he had remembered something he'd rather not about that night. He shook his head slightly and continued. "There was a Gathering the next night. Duskstar announced the news to the other Clans so proudly!"   
  
"Will I ever be big and strong like you?" Skykit looked down at his paws, so scrawny compared to Sunshadow's. He hoped the abrupt change in conversation wouldn't annoy the warrior; he really didn’t feel like discussing the night of his birth with an adult he just met.  
  
"Of course!" Sunshadow nosed his shoulder. "I'm large because of my fur and muscle. You'll get muscle from training, and you can see from how thick your fur is now that you'll soon grow into a big puffball too."   
  
Resolve hardened in Skykit's chest. "I want you to train me!" He announced. "Bramblekit chose Sweetrose as her mentor, so why can't I choose mine?"   
  
Sunshadow looked surprised and flattered at Skykit's outburst. "If you're sure, then go ask Duskstar. I'd love to mentor you."   
  
Skykit's sudden certainty dissolved. He looked down at the ground. "Could you maybe ask him?" Resentment and insecurity swamped his thoughts. He didn't want to seek his father out only to find him once again yowling about how amazing Bramblekit was.   
  
Sunshadow flicked his tail over Skykit's ear fondly. "Alright." He stood up and stretched, beginning to pad off before he looked back at him and blinked. "Your father loves you dearly, you know?" He turned back around and continued on his way.   
  
Skykit sighed. It was hard to believe most of the time.  


«——————»

  
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Tallstone for a Clan meeting!"   
  
Darkbreeze had just licked the last piece of fur down behind Skykit's ear when Duskstar called the meeting. Skykit bounded out of the nursery without waiting for his mother or sister. His fifth moon had passed agonizingly slow, and he was more than eager to finally get out of the cave.  
  
Duskstar was already waiting on the ground below the Tallstone, not bothering to climb the pile of rocks against the wall when he had to step down for the ceremony eventually. Sweetrose was next to him, looking on at the gathering Clan calmly. Sunshadow sat at the edge of the crowd on Duskstar’s other side. He smiled at Skykit when his eyes landed on him.  
  
Darkbreeze settled Skykit and Bramblekit down in the front, facing Duskstar and Sweetrose, before she sat behind them.   
  
Sweetrose stood once she believed everybody had gathered. "I think it's about time I take on an apprentice. Bramblekit will be a fine successor." The Clan murmured softly among themselves at the news, though no one was surprised.   
  
Sweetrose sat back down as Duskstar took the Clan's attention. "Bramblekit, at the age of six moons, you are ready to become an apprentice. From this day on, until you receive your medicine cat name, you will be known as Bramblepaw. Your mentor will be Sweetrose. I trust she will pass down all her wisdom to you." Bramblepaw's amber eyes glowed with happiness as she touched noses with Sweetrose. Duskstar then turned to his son.   
  
"Skykit, it's time you too were apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Skypaw. You mentor will be Sunshadow. I hope he will pass down all he knows onto you." The golden tom stepped towards Skypaw, blue eyes warm. "Sunshadow, you have already trained Eagleclaw excellently, and I expect you to do the same for Skypaw."   
  
Skypaw quivered with excitement as he pressed his nose against his new mentor's. He was an apprentice at last! He felt as though all his former worries had washed away.   
  
"Bramblepaw! Skypaw! Bramblepaw! Skypaw!"   
  
The elation only lasted a short while until he spotted Bramblepaw sitting with Sweetrose and Darkbreeze, who had her eyes fixed on her daughter with pride. Disappointment and bitterness rose at the back of his throat like bile, but he pushed it away for the moment, wanting to enjoy the end of the ceremony. He turned away, grinning up at his new mentor instead.


	5. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which they are inexplicably alone

Sunshadow nudged Skypaw's shoulder with a smile, drawing his attention from the ceremony. "Let's head out. It's about time you get out of this cave -  _ properly _ ."   
  
Skypaw jumped to his paws, bouncing where he stood. He had technically already been outside before, several times in fact, but only on the scattering of rocks and boulders outside of the camp entrance, which was as far as any kit was allowed. The very thought of being under the pine trees that he had only seen from afar made his pelt bristle with excitement.   
  
Skypaw followed his mentor out of the camp, squinting his eyes against the bright sunlight. The boulders that led the way down the slope of the hill no longer seemed as foreboding as they had when he was a kit. He had grown, and now he was allowed to climb over them. He unsheathed his claws, preparing to leap onto the closest one.   
  
But Sunshadow had other ideas. "We won't go that way yet," he called from behind Skypaw. Skypaw whirled around, not expecting to hear his mentor so far away. Sunshadow had turned around and begun making his way up the slope next to the camp entrance. Skypaw flattened his ears and bounded after him.   
  
They weaved between the few stray rocks until they reached the top of the hill. Wind tore at Skypaw's fur as he was no longer sheltered on the slope. Feeling as though he would be blown away, he clung to the swaying grass stems. Sunshadow purred at the sight, continuing onwards to sit at the peak. Skypaw followed, albeit crouching instead of standing tall like his mentor.   
  
All the territories were laid out in front of them, leaving Skypaw gazing in awe, strong winds forgotten.   
  
"Wow," he breathed, soft enough that the wind almost carried his voice away from him   
  
"Indeed," Sunshadow agreed. "Do you see the river to our left, with the stepping stones? The land next to it with the few pines is ours as well as the forest below us." He flicked his tail over to the area he was speaking of. "The territory on the same side of the river but further ahead is HeatherClan. They have the prairie."   
  
Skypaw frowned. "It looks like they have much more territory than us! That's not fair."   
  
Sunshadow's whiskers twitched in amusement. "Yes, but they also have the Thunderpath and Twolegplace to deal with. And no shelter for prey to hide in. I'd say I'm glad they're stuck with that land instead of us."   
  
Moving on, Sunshadow pointed his tail towards their right side. "On this side, there's SageClan. They're in between the two rivers that merge into the main one downstream. They've got the woods with fewer trees, but an abundance of undergrowth." He nodded towards the furthest forest. "And finally, FoxClan. They have the thickest forest that even the brightest sunlight can't fully penetrate." He side-eyed Skypaw. "It darkens their hearts. No wonder they're called FoxClan!"   
  
Skypaw shuffled his paws. "But we live in a cave. Isn't that kind of... hypocritical?"   
  
Sunshadow shook his head vehemently. "We may live in a cave, but we still get plenty of sunlight. It's not like our entire _ territory _ is dark like theirs." Skypaw figured they at least slept in a clearing, Silverpelt visible above them, which was more than CloudClan could say, but he nodded his head in understanding anyway.   
  
Sunshadow started heading back down the hill, towards the HeatherClan border. "I'll take you along the borders so you can get a scent for the other Clans as well. I just figured a view of all the territories would be a good introduction. For context, later on."   
  
Skypaw followed with a bounce in his step. They quickly made their way onto level ground, where a few pine trees scattered around this side of the hill. He opened his mouth to scent the air and was startled at the intensity of the pines. He had only ever caught traces of them from the rocks outside the camp entrance.   
  
They reached the stepping stones in no time. Sunshadow beckoned to Skypaw to go first.   
  
"The stream here is calm but still has a bit of a current. Luckily it's narrower than the other stream so it's great for your first crossing," Sunshadow explained. "Just stay calm and confident and you'll do fine. I'll be right behind you if anything goes awry."   
  
Skypaw nodded and stepped closer to the stream, looking out at the three measly stones. He only had to jump four times, he told himself, hoping to steel his nerves. Before he could second guess himself, he leapt.   
  
And miscalculated the distance. He landed in the stream beyond the first stepping stone and immediately collided with the second one on his right side. He spluttered, desperately holding his head above water, claws scrabbling for a grasp on the stone next to him. He managed to heave himself up with all his strength, just as Sunshadow reached over and grabbed the back of his neck, helping him rest completely on the stone.   
  
"Thanks!" He gasped, belly heaving as he caught his breath on the stone.   
  
Sunshadow nudged him back onto his paws. "The stream really isn't as wide as it may seem," he reminded.   
  
They crossed the last stone with no problems, although Skypaw did skid when he landed on unsteady paws. After that, they continued on. The wind tore at Skypaw’s wet pelt, chilling him to his bones. There were even less trees in this part of the territory, only a few scattered pines on a hilly field, not enough to block the wind.. Sunshadow lead him to the closest one.   
  
"This is the clearest border marker we have. Everything else relies on scent, so get a good smell of HeatherClan while we're here," he instructed. Skypaw did as his mentor said, drinking in the mingled scent of cat, grass, peat, and some other animal.   
  
"If you're wondering," Sunshadow added, "that animal scent is a mix of birds. It's what HeatherClan primarily eats."   
  
Skypaw wrinkled his nose. "Birds? But they fly so high, why bother? Wouldn't a nice rabbit or prairie dog be better?"   
  
"They eat what they can get, I suppose." Sunshadow shrugged. "I told you before, I wouldn't want their land." Skypaw flicked his ear, embarrassed that he had forgotten. "Now that you've gotten an idea of HeatherClan scent, let's move on to the SageClan border."   
  
"Already?" Skypaw inquired. "Won't we continue down the border?"   
  
"The border's much too long to do that and go onto the SageClan border as well," Sunshadow meowed. "I just want to introduce you to everything right now and we can do border patrol tomorrow."   
  
Skypaw nodded in acquiescence, looking back at the border as they traced their pawsteps back to the stepping stones. Skypaw was surefooted this time and didn't slip at all. They followed the river until an island in the middle of it was visible.   
  
"That's the Gathering island," Sunshadow pointed out. "We have a river on either side of us and no way to get to it, so we cross over to HeatherClan and use a Twoleg bridge to get to the island."   
  
The river was so wide here, with the two streams on either side of CloudClan joining together into a single mighty one. They had no neighbors in this direction, as HeatherClan was to his left and SageClan would be coming up on the right.   
  
"We call it the river," Sunshadow continued, "but beyond the Gathering island it is called the Moonstream. It's where we share tongues with StarClan. You'll be able to go sometime before you're a warrior."   
  
"What's the difference between a regular river and the Moonstream?"   
  
"The river at that point calms down so much so that there's basically no current. It's just a flat expanse of water, almost like a mirror. If you fall in you'll just gently drift along." Sunshadow flicked his ear in amusement. "I should know, I fell in once. But when the moon is half full, it lights up the Moonstream so brilliantly... It's a wonderful experience."   
  
Bitterness welled up in Skypaw's chest. "And medicine cats go every half-moon?" How lucky Bramblepaw was.   
  
Sunshadow side-eyed him. "Of course. But don't worry, you'll get your turn." He turned around to continue walking along the border. "Come along now, I'd like to get back before sundown."   
  
Skypaw followed him begrudgingly, ears flattened slightly. They walked along the riverbank, right along the edge of the pine forest to their right. Skypaw itched to go inside, to finally feel the soft carpet of pine needles below his paws instead of hard rock, barely softened by the moss in the nursery.   
  
"We don't have a direct border with SageClan," Sunshadow called back, obviously trying to draw his apprentice's attention back to the borders. Skypaw quickened his pace to catch up again, having fallen behind when lost in his thoughts. "The stream is the boundary. But if the wind is right, you can still scent SageClan all the way over here."   
  
Skypaw opened his mouth, tasting squirrel, raspberries, and tree sap on the wind. "That's SageClan, right?" He asked to make sure.   
  
"Yes, good job!" Sunshadow purred. He glanced up at the sky to see it taking on a pinkish hue. "We should start heading back."   
  
Sunshadow finally turned to face the pines behind them. "We can cut through the forest right here. The camp should be right up here."   
  
Skypaw's eyes lit up in excitement. He bounded after his mentor until the shadows of the trees enveloped him, turning the air cooler. He tilted his head back to stare up at the sky, finding it obscured not by the cold stone of the camp but instead by branches. It was a welcome change.   
  


«——————»

  
Slanted red light fell through the camp entrance from between the hanging vines. Skypaw lay a short distance away from the light's reach, stone ground cool against belly. It only made him long for the pine trees even more.   
  
A rabbit landed in front of him. He looked up to see his sister before she settled down next to him.   
  
"Wanna share?" Bramblepaw greeted.   
  
"Sure." He shifted so he could face her properly. They took turns eating until the rabbit was finished.   
  
Comfortably full, Skypaw licked the back of her ear. She purred and leaned back, batting at his nose playfully.   
  
"I can't believe we're finally apprentices!" Her amber eyes shone with excitement in the soft beams of sunlight penetrating the cave's darkness.   
  
Skypaw purred, enjoying his sister's presence without the stabbing loneliness and jealousy that normally accompanied it. Maybe he just needed time to adjust to the change. They would be fine no matter where they ended up.   
  
"Too bad you don't have to sleep in the same den as Maplepaw again," he sighed dramatically. "His arrogance would keep you humble."   
  
"I think I'll leave that to you," she teased, flicking his ear with her tail.   
  
They lay side by side sharing tongues until the sunlight faded, leaving only the soft white shine of Silverpelt beyond the vines at the cave entrance, their eyes drooping more and more.   
  
A paw prodded Skypaw's back. He turned his head and looked up at the intruding cat with bleary eyes. Darkbreeze blinked slowly at him, blue eyes soft.   
  
"You two should get to sleep. I hear you're going on dawn patrol, Skypaw"   
  
Bramblepaw stood up and stretched. "And Sweetrose will be taking me around to gather herbs." She licked Skypaw's ear. "See you tomorrow." She padded off towards the medicine cat's tunnel. Skypaw heaved himself up to his paws as well. Darkbreeze pressed her nose to his cheek and went off towards the leader's den, where Duskstar sat outside talking with Cedarsong, Badgerfang, and Whitepool.   
  
He looked around, disoriented for a second, until Applepaw brushed past him and looked back, sneering. "Can't find the apprentices' tunnel?"   
  
Skypaw raised his head and stare down his nose at her, which didn't exactly work since she was much taller. "Of course I can. I'm just tired."   
  
"First day out, right? Tired like a little kit." Applepaw harrumphed and stalked away towards the apprentices' tunnel. Skypaw shrugged and followed her.   
  
He entered the main concave at the end of the tunnel. Applepaw was settling down besides Snowpaw and Maplepaw, who were curled up together. She looked up at him, green eyes flashing with hostility in the darkness. Skypaw returned the look and found a nest on the opposite side of the den, behind the cluster of Owlpaw, Dustpaw, and Pebblepaw.   
  
He curled up in it, resting his chin over his tail. The den was warm from the bodies, but not as warm as the nursery had been when laying next to his mother and sister. Loneliness crept over him as he realized his sister was across the camp.   
  
He fell asleep longing for her company.


	6. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which a question must be begged

The world was dark and filled with a tremendous roaring, almost drowning out the sound of cats wailing all around him. He was surrounded by roiling gray. Claws unsheathed, Skypaw clung to the ground under his paws as the wind buffeted against him. He felt as though his claws would break and his fur would be torn out.  _ Where am I? _ He wasn’t sure if he had said it aloud or not; it was too loud to hear anything. __   
  
"Skypaw!" A voice yelled in his ear. He struggled towards it, but he couldn't find the source.   
  
"Wake up you lazy fur ball!" A paw batted at his ear unkindly, though with claws sheathed. Another paw jabbed into his ribs, sending him falling through the darkness.   
  
Skypaw fell out of his nest with a groan. He opened his eyes blearily, blinking up to see a mottled gray tom. Thistletail! The senior warrior had lost any patience for young cats over the seasons, and it was clear on his face as he glared down his nose at Skypaw.   
  
"About time you woke up," he snapped. "It's time for dawn patrol. Now we're running late because of you." Thistletail turned around, lashing his tail angrily as he stalked out of the den. Skypaw sat up, blinking rapidly. He caught sight of green eyes at the edge of his vision. He turned to see Applepaw staring at him, amusement dancing in her eyes, clearly entertained at his first reprimand so soon after becoming an apprentice. Skypaw scowled at her and plodded out of the tunnel.   
  
Sunshadow was the first to spot him. Aspenleaf sat next to him washing her paws, while Thistletail paced in agitation.   
  
"Sleep well, Skypaw?" His mentor asked once he reached them.   
  
"Sure," Skypaw lied.   
  
"No time for chatting," Thistetail declared. "We need to go. You've delayed my patrol long enough, Skypaw."   
  
Skypaw flattened his ears and followed Sunshadow out of the cave as they set off. The air was chilly in the leaf-bare dawn. Thistletail set a quick pace towards the HeatherClan border, and Skypaw found it hard to keep up. He was already sore from exploring yesterday, and the morning’s stiffness made it even worse. Sunshadow slowed down to walk beside him.   
  
"You'll get faster," he assured him. "And you won't be as stiff in the mornings once you exercise more."   
  
"Hurry up!" Thistletail called, already having reached and crossed the first two stepping stones. Aspenleaf waited on the other side, nodding to them in understanding.   
  
"Go on then," Sunshadow nudged Skypaw. Skypaw bounded ahead towards the stepping stones, jumping across each one with little hesitation until he reached land again. Sunshadow landed beside him, touching his shoulder with his tail in approval.   
  
Thistletail was already making his way towards the pine tree marker. Sunshadow followed, beckoning Skypaw along.   
  
"You can just rub yourself along the tree here to renew the border," he instructed Skypaw. Skypaw did as he said. He felt foolish, but no one told him he did it wrong.   
  
"For the rest of the border, we just walk along it," Aspenleaf added.   
  
Thistletail was sniffing the scent line suspiciously, scowling. "HeatherClan wants this land for themselves," he growled. "They're too bad at hunting for their own territory to be enough. Be on the lookout for any intruding scents."   
  
"If only there were bushes or something to keep them out," Skypaw mused. "A wide open field with no visual markers isn't exactly the best place for a border."   
  
"Let's keep moving," Aspenleaf encouraged. Thistletail grunted in agreement. They continued walking on, eventually turning left when HeatherClan scent went right. The trees grew denser as they skirted around the hill, making the border easier to mark. They eventually reached the stream again, which they were able to wade across easily, as it was only a fox-length wide.   
  
The pines on this side were dense enough to be a forest again, and with a flex of his claws, Skypaw relished the feel of soft ground under his paws and dappled sunlight on his back. The hill loomed in the distance.   
  
"Do you want to go back to camp to rest or would you like to hunt while we're out here?" Sunshadow asked.   
  
"Is the patrol already over?" Skypaw asked with wide eyes.   
  
"Yes, the other border patrol will do the SageClan boundary and this area," Aspenleaf answered, stretching. "Thistletail and I are going back to camp."   
  
Watching them go, Skypaw turned back to Sunshadow, bouncing on his paws. "I want to hunt!"   
  
"Alright. It's wise to learn how to hunt aboveground prey before leaf-bare arrives." Sunshadow nodded approvingly. "What can you smell?"   
  
Skypaw opened his mouth. He could smell the pines, they were all around him.  __ What a nice scent. There was a squirrel nearby, as well as a bird, which was calling loudly above them. "A squirrel and a bird."   
  
"Good. The squirrel is over there." Sunshadow pointed with his tail. "Copy how I walk."   
  
Sunshadow dropped into a hunter's crouch and crept forward slowly, keeping his paws light despite being muffled by the pine needles. Skypaw copied as best as he could.   
  
"There's little undergrowth around here, so it's important you're silent and slow so they can't hear or see you," Sunshadow murmured in his ear. "Settle your weight more on your haunches so you can spring easier."   
  
Skypaw adjusted as told. He crept forward as Sunshadow did, keeping his tail above the ground and his eyes on the squirrel. It nibbled on a seed, unaware. But Skypaw didn't watch where his feet were; he stepped on a twig with a loud snap, alerting the squirrel and sending it skittering away into the tree roots.   
  
"It was a good first try, all things considered," Sunshadow praised. Skypaw sat up and scowled. "Your crouch was pretty good for the first time. Your only mistake was not watching where you were going."   
  
"You mentioned aboveground prey before, what did you mean?" Skypaw asked, wanting to take a bit of a break so he could regain his focus.   
  
Sunshadow's eyes flickered in understanding. "During leaf-bare, there's barely any prey aboveground. There's really only birds, but they're hard to catch," he explained. "So in leaf-bare, we use the tunnels to catch the prey in their burrows. It's where the rabbits, prairie dogs, and squirrels all go in the winter. We leave them alone in the warmer weather unless they come topside so that we don't completely wipe them out."   
  
Skypaw tilted his head. "Why didn't I ever hear about tunnel hunting? And what tunnels exactly?"   
  
"Well you've never experienced leaf-bare yet," Sunshadow reminded him. "There's smaller tunnels beyond the cave that we use. They go deeper into the hill. It's a whole new territory for you to learn!"   
  
Skypaw blanched. "Can't wait."   
  


«——————»  


  
Skypaw and Sunshadow returned to camp past sunhigh, each with prey in their jaws. His paws ached and his muscles were sore, but his spirits were high. He'd managed to catch a mouse!   
  
Flamefoot, Shade-eye, and Raincloud were sunning themselves on the rocks outside the camp entrance. Skypaw waved his tail to them in greeting, mouth full.  
  
"Is that Skypaw with a mouse?" Shade-eye lifted his head. "Why, you'll be a warrior before you know it at this rate!"  
  
Skypaw put the mouse down in front of the elders. "Would you like to have this mouse? It's not much but-"  
  
"That's fine, young one," Flamefoot purred. "I already ate. It'll be good for Raincloud and Shade-eye."  
  
"What a helpful 'paw!" Raincloud reached over to take a bite. "Second day on the job and he's helping us without needing to be told."  
  
"Skypaw was always such a good kit," Shade-eyed purred. Skypaw flattened his ears in embarrassment. Sunshadow bumped his shoulder, purring in amusement.  
  
"Go get some rest," he told him, voice muffled by the bird in his mouth. Skypaw nodded and parted the vines to enter the cave. Immediately, Bramblepaw barreled towards him, knocking him over.  
  
"Skypaw! Skypaw! Guess what!" She pranced around him in excitement.  
  
"What? What happened?" Skypaw winced. His sore muscles didn't appreciate being thrown around.  
  
"Roseheart is expecting Eagleclaw's kits!" She pounced on his stomach, unable to control her happiness. "I helped Sweetrose figure it out! Roseheart had been feeling off for the past few days and Sweetrose showed me how to feel her belly and- and-"  
  
"Slow down." He rolled over to get her off him. "Catch your breath, you can barely speak!"  
  
"It's just that, after we became apprentices, the nursery was empty! We won't be the youngest anymore. And I helped with my first medicine cat duty!"  
  
"Is she moving to the nursery yet?"  
  
Bramblepaw shook her head. "It'll be some time before she has to, and she wants to keep up her duties for as long as possible."  
  
Skypaw purred. "I don't blame her!" He stifled a yawn. "I'd love to celebrate with you some more, but I'm practically dead on my paws." He yawned, unable to resist. "I've been out since dawn."  
  
"Oh you poor thing!" She cooed, teasingly. Bramblepaw nudged him to his feet. "I won't stop you from sleeping then."  
  
Skypaw scrambled to his paws and pressed his nose to her cheek. He trudged on to the apprentices' tunnel with heavy paws.   
  
"Don't forget there's a Gathering tomorrow night!" Bramblepaw called after him. Skypaw's ears shot up and turned to look at her, exhaustion temporarily forgotten.  
  
"Really? Are we going?"  
  
She padded over to him so they wouldn't have to yowl across the cave. "Of course! We're new apprentices."  
  
Skypaw shuffled his paws, eyes shining. "Our first Gathering!"  
  
"I wouldn't have told you if I knew you wouldn't go sleep!" She chided. Bramblepaw pushed him along the tunnel until they reached the concave. She settled him down in his nest and curled around him.  
  
"So this is what your den is like. More room than mine!" She murmured.  
  
Skypaw sighed. It was good to lay with his sister again, fur mingling in a familiar way. "Yeah but there's six other apprentices to make room for."  
  
Bramblepaw hummed and rested her head on his back. "Go to sleep." He listened to her gladly.   
  


«——————»   
  


The sun had just set when the Clan gathered around Duskstar.  
  
"Let's see..." he muttered. "I'll take... Eagleclaw, Badgerfang, Silverfrost, Dustpaw, Cedarsong, Sunshadow, Mistfur, Kestrelwing, Sweetrose, Bramblepaw, and Skypaw."   
  
_ No Snowpaw? _ Skypaw couldn't help the twinge of disappointment, but he was quickly distracted as Bramblepaw vibrated beside him, her excitement piquing his as well until he was bouncing alongside her. Darkbreeze padded up to her kits and nuzzled both of them.   
  
"I'm so proud of you two," she purred. "Your first Gathering... already on your way to becoming full members of the Clan!" She licked a stray piece of fur down on Bramblepaw's head.   
  
"Darkbreeze!" She whined, backing away.   
  
"CloudClan, let's go!" Duskstar yowled, signaling for the warriors to follow.   
  
"Well, bye Darkbreeze," Skypaw yelped, before he too could get licked. He scurried after his father, Bramblepaw close behind. They bounded out the cave and over the rocks outside, flowing as one down the slope. Running alongside his sister with the wind in his fur and Silverpelt above was one of the best feelings to Skypaw.   
  
Before he knew it, they were crossing the stream. Skypaw watched in awe as the senior warriors jumped across without needing the stepping stones at all.   
  
"Do you think we could do that someday?" Skypaw asked his sister, whose amber eyes were wide like his.   
  
"Of course." Sunshadow's sudden appearance beside him almost made him fall into the stream. Again. Bramblepaw helped him balance.   
  
Sunshadow purred and bunched his muscles, leaping the distance and landing easily on the other side. "CloudClan warriors need to be as light as air!" He called before running along with the rest of the Clan towards HeatherClan.   
  
"Hurry and cross!" Bramblepaw prodded him. He stepped along the stones as quickly as he could, his sister on his paws, not wanting to fall behind. They caught up to the end of the group right as they crossed the HeatherClan border, slowing down to meet them. Skypaw let out a shaky sigh to catch his breath, distantly noting that Bramblepaw was much more out of breath than he was.   
  
Another group was visible on the crest of a hill ahead, loping towards them steadily. CloudClan slowed down to meet them.   
  
"Hello, intruders!" A tom greeted once the other group reached them, but there was no mean-spirited tone to his voice beyond the expected guardedness.   
  
"Greetings, Falconstar," Duskstar welcomed.   
  
"HeatherClan!" Bramblepaw hissed to Skypaw. "They smell so weird."   
  
"It's because they eat birds all the time," Skypaw whispered back, remembering what Sunshadow had told him.   
  
"Shall we travel together then?" Duskstar asked amiably, knowing all too well that CloudClan was on HeatherClan territory.   
  
"I think we shall." Falconstar flicked his tail to his warriors, who then flocked around CloudClan. Skypaw watched with wide eyes.   
  
"They aren't attacking right?" He asked Bramblepaw.   
  
"I think this is just a polite way to escort us," she answered uneasily. "Since we're on their territory and all."   
  
Duskstar kept a cool face, but his ear flicked, which Skypaw knew that meant he was irritated. He led CloudClan along to the Twoleg bridge that spanned the gap between the island and the riverbank. The warriors walked along it with only slight hesitation. Skypaw stepped onto it, surprised to find it sturdy and hard, yet still soft when he dug his claws into it. He hurried across with Bramblepaw.   
  
"It felt like a tree!" She whispered once they were on the island. "But it looks nothing like it!"   
  
A ginger HeatherClan apprentice passed them, head raised high. "Twolegs cut down trees and make them into that stuff," she told them, voice smug as if knowing more about Twolegs was a good thing.   
  
Skypaw scowled at her. "Who asked you?"   
  
A newcomer cleared their throat. Skypaw looked over to see Dustpaw, one of the older apprentices. He had never spoken to Skypaw.   
  
"Skypaw, don't be rude," he chided, though he widened his eyes as if to say _ don't make enemies. _ __   
  
"Sorry," Skypaw apologized curtly.   
  
"This is Cherrypaw," Dustpaw continued, nodding to the HeatherClan apprentice. "Cherrypaw, this is Skypaw and his sister Bramblepaw. She's Sweetrose's apprentice." Skypaw flicked his ear and Bramblepaw waved her tail in acknowledgment.   
  
Cherrypaw grunted and sat down, licking her paw. "Owlpaw and Pebblepaw aren't here with you?" She asked, voice disinterested.   
  
"No. Petalpaw and Blackpaw aren't either?" Dustpaw answered politely. Cherrypaw shook her head.   
  
Three more apprentices approached them. One smelled of SageClan and two smelled unfamiliar, which Skypaw figured was FoxClan, as he hadn’t had the chance to smell them directly before.   
  
"Dustpaw, who're these two newcomers?" One of the FoxClan apprentices, a tortoiseshell she-cat, asked.   
  
"This is Skypaw and Bramblepaw." He pointed to them respectively. "Newly made apprentices. This is Mosspaw, and her brother Marshpaw. Then there's Violetpaw of SageClan."   
  
Skypaw waved his tail in greeting, too overwhelmed to say anything. Bramblepaw was going to respond, but she was interrupted by Sweetrose.   
  
"Bramblepaw, come meet the other medicine cats." Sweetrose called from a group of five other cats a short distance away. Bramblepaw stood and quickly said goodbye before bounding over to her mentor in excitement.   
  
Knowing nobody else, Skypaw clung to Dustpaw's side, needing an anchor of familiarity. The older apprentices exchanged stories easily, even Cherrypaw, who now seemed friendlier with the other three around..   
  
"There was a dog in our territory the other day," Marshpaw told everyone. "But me and Mosspaw helped drive it out! We'll be getting our warrior names any day now."   
  
"Then why aren't you already warriors?" Dustpaw teased.   
  
Marshpaw's face screwed up in indignation, but before he could retort, a yowl broke through the clearing. The leaders had climbed the boulder at the head of the island, the full moon shining brilliantly above them. Skypaw spotted Cedarsong sitting below the rock, along with three other cats, who he figured were other deputies. A white light broke through the trees behind them, cutting through the leaves in sharp beams.    
  
"What's that light through the trees?" Skypaw asked Dustpaw in a hushed voice.   
  
"It's the Moonstream," he answered. "Now hush. The leaders are speaking."   
  
_ If that's the Moonstream during a full moon, no wonder medicine cats only go during the half moon!  _ Skypaw thought.  _ They'd be blinded at this time. _   
  
"FoxClan will speak first," a golden tom called, standing up on his side of the boulder. Skypaw thought he was probably Beechstar, vaguely remembering the lesson his mother had gave him on the other Clans. "Prey continues to run well, even as leaf-fall bears upon us. A dog entered our forest, but two apprentices, Mosspaw and Marshpaw, fought it off bravely."   
  
The two apprentices' eyes shone with pride, heads held high, as everyone cheered for them.   
  
A ginger she-cat stood up as Beechstar settled down once more.  _ And I guess that's Rowanstar _ , Skypaw thought. "SageClan thrives, as always. Prey is abundant and our medicine cat Ravensong has taken on an apprentice, Cloverpaw."   
  
"Cloverpaw! Cloverpaw!" Skypaw chanted her name with all four Clans. He saw a small white she-cat hunch over near Sweetrose.   
  
Duskstar stood up next. "Prey is flourishing as usual. CloudClan has two new apprentices, Bramblepaw, who is Sweetrose's new apprentice, and Skypaw."   
  
"Bramblepaw! Skypaw!" Skypaw thought the calls would be empowering, but instead they thundered in his ears and swirled around him, leaving him surrounded, trapped. He was grateful once they quieted down as Duskstar sat down.   
  
Falconstar stood up, chest puffed out, green eyes narrowed coldly. His posture was tense, as though he were facing down a whole Clan of enemies. With a sinking feeling, Skypaw realized maybe he was.   
  
"I speak for all of HeatherClan as I say," Falconstar began, voice carrying strongly through the clearing, "that it is time CloudClan relinquishes their hold on the land across the stream."   
  
Yowls of protest broke out immediately. Dustpaw stiffened beside Skypaw, amber gaze suddenly openly hostile as he glared at Cherrypaw. Skypaw lifted his head, searching for Bramblepaw, only to find her staring back at him with worried eyes.   
  
Duskstar was lashing his tail on his branch, back on his paws. "You have no right-"   
  
"No,  _ CloudClan _ has no right!" Falconstar snapped. "You don't need that land. You have the pine forest around your hill on the land between the streams, and we all know you hunt inside the hill as well!" He snarled. "How dare you deprive other Clans of food when you already have plenty?"   
  
"And how dare you go around making claims to another Clan's territory?" Duskstar's fur was bristling in fury.   
  
Falconstar sat back on his haunches. "You either agree to give up the land now, or you agree to a fight." His cool green eyes glinted with calm anger in the moonlight. "Choose wisely, Duskstar. Any blood spilled will be on  __ your  claws. "   
  
Duskstar scratched at the rock underneath his paws. "I would never agree to such an outrag-" Wisps of clouds drifted over the moon, a clear warning to the cats below. He glared at Falconstar one last time. "Know that we will fight for our land. This Gathering is over."   
  
Duskstar leaped down from the boulder without looking back. Dustpaw hurried to join the rest of CloudClan in herding around their leader, and Skypaw followed quickly. They ran over the Twoleg bridge and across HeatherClan territory as one group, stepping gingerly along the stones once they reached the stream. They moved too quickly for Skypaw to slow down and find his sister.   
  
Sunshadow fell into step beside Skypaw. "I'll start teaching you battle moves tomorrow," he promised grimly. Skypaw's stomach twisted, not having expected to face battle so soon after becoming an apprentice.   
  
They made it back to camp with no more problems, weaving their way into the cave through the moonlit rocks. The cats who had stayed behind must have sensed something had happened, as all the apprentices rushed towards him and Dustpaw. He left the explaining to the older apprentice and Bramblepaw and snuck to the den before anyone noticed to ask for his recount. He settled into his nest, happy to finally rest. He needed it for the battle preparations tomorrow.


	7. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which the inevitable is met

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the delay! it was a rough week and i was too tired to post the chapter yesterday

Skypaw's eyes blinked open groggily as a nose poked into his flank. He lifted his head to investigate the intrusion, but his vision was too blurred with sleep. His fur felt incredibly unkempt, as though he had stood at the top of the hill for an entire day. He shook his head to get his bearings, only to meet blue eyes in front of his face.   
  
"It's time for training, Skypaw," Sunshadow whispered, nudging him again. "On your paws, there's no time for laziness. We don't know when HeatherClan will make a move."   
  
With the second nudge, Skypaw propelled himself upwards and stood on heavy paws. His muscles were still sore. It had been fading as the days went on and he got more used to training, however the Gathering the night before left him exhausted once again.   
  
Skypaw followed his mentor out of the apprentices' tunnel, stumbling into the main cave. Milky dawn light was filtered through the vines hanging over the entrance, but it was still bright enough to make him squint, used to the darkness of the alcove.   
  
Cedarsong stood in the middle of the cave, surrounded by a crowd that milled about sluggishly. Skypaw blinked in surprise; it must've been practically every available warrior!   
  
"Mistfur, Lichenpelt, Snowpaw, you all go patrol the SageClan border," Cedarsong called. "Meanwhile, I need senior warriors only on the HeatherClan border." She looked around the crowd around her, ignoring the drooping tails of eager apprentices. "I'll go with Silverfrost, Thistletail, and Sunshadow."   
  
Sunshadow's ears pricked, not expecting to hear his name as he had already begun slinking around the crowd towards the back end of the cave. He looked towards Cedarsong apologetically. She tilted her head in bemusement.   
  
"I need to get Skypaw started on his battle training," Sunshadow said sheepishly.   
  
Cedarsong nodded. "Go on then. Whitepool, you come along with us." She then turned around to face the crowd again, moving on to hunting patrol assignments.  
  
Now dismissed, Sunshadow turned back to Skypaw. "Follow me closely. We'll be entering the tunnels and it'll get very dark very quickly."   
  
"Aren't you teaching me battle moves?" He asked, but did as Sunshadow said. He kept his whiskers brushing along his mentor's tail as they padded into a shadowed corner. He couldn't imagine there was a tunnel hidden back here. How did he never know? He cursed himself for not paying better attention to what happened around camp when he was younger.   
  
"You won't be fighting in any above ground battles for some time yet," Sunshadow replied over his shoulder. There was an odd relief settling itself in Skypaw's chest. "You're much too young and inexperienced. You'll be staying behind to defend the camp for the time being instead, so you need to learn how to fight in the tunnels."   
  
The tunnel was already pitch black ahead of them, but if he looked back, Skypaw could see a tiny circle of light from the camp that got smaller as they walked on. Various scents drifted past his nose, all smothered by the damp earth.   
  
"I'll teach you how to orient yourself properly down here soon," Sunshadow promised, then muttered, "This is all going too fast." Skypaw wondered what he meant, but in the quiet of the cave, he didn’t pursue it.   
  
The ground began sloping downwards. Skypaw nearly stumbled into Sunshadow ahead of him, not expecting the change. It was nearly overwhelming, how different the tunnels were; he couldn't see anything but blackness, scents were damp and distant, and sounds carried differently. He suddenly become aware of the amount of dirt surrounding him, enough to suffocate him should it collapse.   
  
"Calm down," Sunshadow instructed. Skypaw didn't realize he could hear his breathing quicken. It was so quiet down here. "The training cave is right up ahead."   
  
The air did feel different, Skypaw realized. There was more circulation, and the dampness wasn't as tangible. He could distinguish scents easier as well. He could even smell the grass from the hillside!   
  
"There are small tunnels leading up to the surface from here, enough to ventilate but not large enough for cats to travel," Sunshadow informed him. "This is as far as we go in this direction. There are other tunnels branching off the one we came in through, but none that continue beyond this cave."   
  
Sunshadow's voice came from a different direction the second time, making Skypaw jump. He couldn't find where his mentor was at any given time unless he was speaking. Unease growing, he attempted to make his way into what he believed was the center of the space. Colorful shapes danced along his vision, lighting up the black and distracting him, only making him more anxious. He couldn't see! How could he train like this?   
  
"Try to locate me by sound," Sunshadow whispered right next to his ear. Skypaw whirled around, nearly toppling over. "Not just my voice! Think of movements as well. HeatherClan warriors will not disguise themselves as silently as CloudClan warriors will."   
  
Skypaw pricked his ears, listening as hard as he could. The silence was deafening. Was that blood rushing through his head?   
  
A heavy weight slammed into him. "Listen harder!" Sunshadow hissed at him. "Don’t doubt yourself!" He leapt off Skypaw and was lost once again.   
  
Skypaw heaved himself to his paws and sat as still as possible. If he made a noise, would Sunshadow use that to mask his own movement? Skypaw thought hard, until he felt his whiskers twitch involuntarily to his right. He jumped left just as a thud sounded to where he had been.   
  
"Good!" Sunshadow called. "Use the movement in the air as well. Your hearing is not your only sense, don't rely on it completely."   
  
Air whisked past Skypaw in the front, so he stepped back. He held his breath, hoping to hear any movement. He didn't want to rely completely on touch, either.   
  
He finally heard a pebble clatter behind him. Skypaw scurried away, turning around as fast he could, not wanting his back exposed. He kept his balance this time and stood with his tail held out, hoping to feel more movement that way.   
  
The pebble clatter had been loud, emphasizing how truly quiet the cave was. But that's all it was, Skypaw realized. It was no longer silent, he could hear the swishing of fur and soft panting, quiet enough that he almost mistook it for blood rushing in his head once again. It was rapidly approaching him, and he jumped out of the way just in time, feeling Sunshadow pass so close that his fur rippled.   
  
"Now that you have your bearings - as much as you can right now - we'll move onto actual battle moves." Sunshadow's voice broke through the quiet, startling Skypaw. He had gotten used to the lack of noise, he realized. "Locate me and then try to catch me. No more dodging."   
  
Sunshadow ran past him, buffeting Skypaw's fur, reminding him of the peak of the hill innumerable fox-lengths above their heads. He chased after his mentor as best as he could, but he couldn't hear Sunshadow over his own noises, and he could no longer feel him.   
  
Once again, he was slammed into the ground. "CloudClan uses other warriors' movement to our advantage," Sunshadow told him, already prancing away. "While they flounder in the dark, deafened by their own noise, you must sneak in and strike."   
  
Skypaw stood up, shoulder aching. He frowned and took shallow breaths through his mouth, reducing his noise. He heard a distant rushing ahead of him and loped towards it, making sure to not move too fast and step carefully.   
  
He could hear quiet scuffling moving away from him. Skypaw didn't stop to think about what it could be. He bounded after it and took a mighty leap, landing on Sunshadow's furry back. His mentor immediately dropped and rolled onto his back, forcing Skypaw to disengage.   
  
A paw batted at his ear, not friendly at all, but claws still sheathed. Skypaw panted softly with the exertion, and he could hear Sunshadow's elevated breathing as well. Skypaw lunged forward towards the source. His head bumped into Sunshadow's chest, and he quickly adjusted to squeeze under his belly and unbalance him. Sunshadow stumbled above him, but snagged his claws in Skypaw's fluffed out fur, dragging him down to the floor with him.   
  
Skypaw grunted as he flopped onto his side next to his mentor. He panted heavily, taking the opportunity for an impromptu rest. Sunshadow did the same.   
  
"We can start heading back to camp after this," Sunshadow told him after a few moments, breath already caught. Skypaw envied his endurance. "Tomorrow I can show you proper techniques in actual daylight. I just wanted to introduce you to the caves just in case. For now at least, you can hold your own where it matters."   
  
Skypaw heard the shuffle of paws and fur on dirt. He stood up with it and followed it as Sunshadow led him back to the tunnel. The air grew stiffer as they moved along, losing the circulation that the cave had. A speck of light became visible ahead of them, growing larger as they approached. Skypaw had to squint against it, not used to the brightness of the camp. How odd, he thought, that the camp used to seem so dark to him before, compared to the outside.   
  
Sunshadow blocked the worst of the light as he lead the way back up the tunnel. With the adrenaline from before leaving him, Skypaw clung to the dirt below him as the floor sloped upwards, tiredness overcoming him. The camp was visible at the end of the tunnel by the time the ground leveled out again, no longer just a bright speck. He stumbled out into the open, squinting so hard he could barely see.   
  
By the time he finally adjusted to the light, Skypaw realized that the camp was bustling with activity in front of him. Sunshadow had left him by the tunnel, pacing around the main group at the center of the cave anxiously. Cats were whispering to themselves in their own groups, all gathered around a central point where Duskstar and Cedarsong sat, heads bent low in discussion with Thistletail, Silverfrost, and Whitepool. Skypaw padded over to the group, unsure, until he spotted Dustpaw sitting with his siblings, Owlpaw and Pebblepaw.   
  
Skypaw approached, head low with hesitation, as Dustpaw seemed preoccupied with his siblings. But he raised his eyes in time to spot Skypaw, and beckoned him over anyway.   
  
"What's going on?" Skypaw asked once he settled down in between Dustpaw and Pebblepaw.   
  
"Cedarsong and her patrol arrived back at camp around sunhigh," Owlpaw responded, amber eyes flitting around skittishly.   
  
"They said that HeatherClan had set the border along the riverbank," Pebblepaw continued for her brother. "That means they did it right after the Gathering. The patrol reset the border in the original place and came back."   
  
"Falconstar was clearly not bluffing at the Gathering." Dustpaw's eyes were troubled as he stared at the ground, deep in thought.   
  
"Skypaw!" Bramblepaw called, voice tinged with worry. He startled at her appearance as she landed next to him, flanks heaving. Pebblepaw jumped up, hissing in surprise at the intrusion before moving closer to Owlpaw.   
  
Duskstar's yowl stopped her from continuing. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Tallstone for a Clan meeting!"   
  
Skypaw straightened beside his sister as she caught her breath. She licked behind his ear before turning her attention to their father, tail flicking impatiently.   
  
"I'm sure you've all heard by now," Duskstar began. "HeatherClan attempted to push the border to the stream, which is what Falconstar proposed at the Gathering last night. Cedarsong, Silverfrost, Whitepool, and Thistletail reset the original border during their patrol, but we must prepare for the worst. Falconstar warned that they would fight for that land."   
  
Duskstar scanned the Clan below him with hard eyes. "We need to monitor the border constantly. I want Eagleclaw, Aspenleaf, and Owlpaw to go on dusk patrol along the border. Mistfur, and Badgerfang, you two can accompany them, but I want you to stay there overnight. You'll be relieved at dawn. If HeatherClan makes a move, focus on getting back to camp to assemble a battle patrol."   
  
The named cats nodded in determination. Skypaw watched with wide eyes as Duskstar dismissed the meeting. Mistfur and Badgerfang headed to the warriors tunnel for rest before the overnight watch.   
  
"Oh, Skypaw!" Bramblepaw finally burst out, pressing her face against his. "The patrol came back with the news and I had no idea where you were. Thank StarClan you're alright." She pulled away to examine him closer. "Or, maybe you aren't. Come with me so I can fix you up."   
  
She led him to the medicine cat den, where Sweetrose had already retreated back into. She looked up as the two young apprentices entered and tutted at the sight of Skypaw.   
  
"I'll let you handle this, then," Sweetrose purred and returned to counting herbs in the corner.   
  
Bramblepaw settled Skypaw into a nest and flipped his paws over. "StarClan, what were you doing today?" She exclaimed, already pulling away to gather some herbs Skypaw didn't recognize.   
  
"Sunshadow took me into the tunnels for battle training," he replied, stretching out in the nest, glad for the comfort.   
  
"Already?" Sweetrose looked up from the herb pile in front of her, green eyes flashing in the dim light. "Well I suppose with the current events going on, it would only be wise to..." She sighed.   
  
Bramblepaw returned to his side with two large leaves in her mouth. "These are dock leaves, for all your scrapes," she explained for his benefit, voice muffled but eager to share her new knowledge. Skypaw smiled, glad that his sister was coming into her own. She sat in front of him and set the leaves down. "How were the tunnels?" She asked before chewing up one of the leaves.   
  
"Dark, so much darker than the camp." Skypaw winced as she smeared the poultice on his paw pads. Even they must've gotten scraped up during the training, despite how tough they were from living in the cave. He had thought Bramblepaw meant the scrapes along his sides. "It's very quiet too. But it's not completely silent. It's all very disorienting at first, but you get used to it once you learn how to pay attention."   
  
"Will I ever go in the tunnels?" Bramblepaw looked back at Sweetrose, tail curling in excitement.   
  
"We gather some herbs down there, so yes," Sweetrose responded absentmindedly, not looking up from the pile she was sorting. "But you won't be there as often as a warrior. And it's mostly in leaf-bare when everything aboveground is dead from the cold."   
  
Bramblepaw was already chewing up the next leaf, so she flicked her ear in acknowledgement, not that her mentor saw. Skypaw purred in affection as he watched.   
  
Bramblepaw dabbed the poultice on areas on his back and sides. The scratches there stung slightly. Once she was done, she settled next to him and began grooming him, dodging the dabs of poultice. Skypaw dozed, exhaustion having settled in his bones as soon as his sister bustled him into the nest. It was hard to believe he had only been training for a couple days, but his muscles, aching from all the activity reminded him.   
  
"Do you really think we'll have to fight HeatherClan?" Bramblepaw murmured once she had licked every wild tuft of fur down. "I'm not ready to heal actual wounds yet."   
  
"Nonsense," Sweetrose called from the other side of the den. "You know all the basics. The experience will only help you. It's nothing to worry about."   
  
Bramblepaw sighed and rolled onto her side, paws kneading Skypaw's flank. "But what if someone dies?"   
  
"Duskstar is wise enough to know when a battle is lost. If it's really to that point, then he'll retreat."   
  
"But accidents happen! What if a cat dies from their wounds after-!" Bramblepaw's voice rose to a whine, kneading Skypaw's side more insistently. He grunted and shifted away slightly, too tired to do much more.   
  
"If you worry about failures that haven't happened yet," Sweetrose's voice hardened, no longer distracted. "Then you'll never have the chance to succeed."  
  


«——————»  


  
Skypaw found his paws wandering towards the elders' den. Sweetrose had shooed him out of her den before he had the chance to fall asleep, claiming his scratches weren't serious enough to take up precious time and space. She had then taken Bramblepaw to gather some herbs before the possible battle.   
  
The dusk patrol was trickling towards the camp entrance, where red sunlight filtered in between the vines. Skypaw passed by them as Mistfur joined, the last cat needed, and they set out over the rocks.   
  
Skypaw made sure to grab a fat squirrel from the fresh-kill pile before reaching the elders' tunnel and peering in. It wasn't as long as the tunnels to the other dens, so the alcove of the den was easily visible a fox-length away. The silhouette of his head cast a long shadow into the den, prompting Raincloud to raise her head.   
  
"Oh, hello young one," she greeted around a yawn. "Is that a squirrel you have there?"   
  
Skypaw ventured further in, passing into the shadows. He slowed to let his eyes adjust before continuing on to the elder. He set the squirrel down next to her as an answer.   
  
A mound of fur was visible nearby, a mix of black and ginger. Raincloud purred in delight upon seeing the squirrel, loud enough to cause a head to jerk up above the two bodies, eyes glowing amber in the dark. Skypaw waved his tail as Raincloud began eating, hoping it was Flamefoot who could see the gesture. The cat's ear flicked in acknowledgement before disappearing again.   
  
"What a good squirrel!" Raincloud purred in between bites. "Do you want to share?"   
  
Skypaw's belly rumbled as an answer. He flattened his ears sheepishly as she purred in amusement, pushing it towards him so he could eat some.   
  
"You've been awfully quiet," Raincloud prompted as he was chewing. "Are you worried about a battle with HeatherClan?"   
  
Skypaw swallowed. "I'm... not sure," he admitted. "It doesn't feel real yet. I mean, I'm hardly even an apprentice."   
  
"I remember that feeling," Raincloud sighed. "The first battle always feels unreal. And you're so young for it too!" She shook her head in disappointment and frustration. "It's such a shame."   
  
Skypaw stayed quiet, opting to just take another bite.    
  
"Have I told you about my first battle yet? It was with SageClan when we were all apprentices." She gazed at a point beyond Skypaw's shoulder as she focused on remembering. "I got cornered by a young warrior. He was absolutely huge! He gave me this scar." She flicked her tail to the thick scar on her flank.   
  
"What did you do?" Skypaw's ears pricked with anticipation.   
  
"I clawed him across the nose but I was too small to do much more. He was backing me into the stream, and on that side it's deeper and wider. I almost fell in but Flamefoot and Shade-eye tackled him, and we managed to drive him off together." Raincloud's blue eyes glowed as she glanced over her shoulder to the pile of toms in the dark corner.   
  
Skypaw's chest tightened with excitement. Maybe he could take on a warrior! Except, Raincloud had friends at her side... His spirit deflated as he realized Bramblepaw wouldn't fight alongside him, and he didn't exactly have any other friends his age.   
  
Sudden commotion in the camp behind him drew his attention. He could hear paws scrambling on packed earth and several cats murmuring in barely restrained voices, clearly agitated.    
  
"That doesn't bode well," Raincloud noted. "Let's go check it out."   
  
She heaved herself up to her paws as Skypaw waited for her, itching to see what happened but not wanting to be rude. He padded out of the tunnel at her side and emerged in the main cave.   
  
The sun had almost entirely set, leaving the cave in near darkness, tinged a slight red from the last few rays on the horizon. A crowd had gathered in the center around a single cat. Skypaw weaved his way between legs to see who it was.   
  
A single ray landed on Owlpaw's white face as he happened to turn around in the center of the group, looking like a slash of blood across his eyes. Skypaw flinched as the older apprentice's voice raised. "HeatherClan reset the scent line again!"


	8. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which a grievous sin is committed

"Again?!" Duskstar's arrival set the angry murmuring of the Clan quiet. He emerged on the opposite side of the crowd from Skypaw. "Are you sure?"  
  
Owlpaw spun around to face Duskstar. Flanks heaving, he managed to reply. "Yes, I'm sure. Aspenleaf sent me back to deliver the message."  
  
Duskstar lashed his tail, eyes narrowed in consideration. "It is obviously a hostile message... Are the rest of the warriors moving it back?” Owlpaw nodded as he caught his breath.  
  
"Make sure Mistfur and Badgerfang remain on watch then." Duskstar's voice was hard with resolve. "We will not start this. I will not be responsible for needless bloodshed unless it is in defense."  
  
Muttering broke out as Duskstar turned to leave. Skypaw squeezed out between Thistletail and Lichenpelt to catch up to him, but not before he heard Lichenpelt grumble, "We need to make a move while we can!"  
  
Pelt prickling, Skypaw bounded after his father as he approached the medicine den. His tail had already disappeared through the tunnel by the time Skypaw reached it. Lichenpelt’s words echoed in his ears with each step; the thought that Duskstar’s decision wasn’t popular among the senior warriors sent his stomach fluttering with worry.  
  
As he drew closer, he was able to hear his father's voice faintly from the entrance to the tunnel. "Is this what StarClan was warning us about, Sweetrose?"  
  
Skypaw's fur bristled as he realized he wasn't meant to hear the question. He began to back away until fur brushed against his. He looked to the side to see Bramblepaw, her eyes wide with a mix of worry, hesitation, and frustration.  
  
"Come on," she told him softly, leading him away from the tunnel with her tail on his shoulder. She sat him down some distance away and settled beside him. Her flank pressed heavily against his.  
  
Skypaw's pelt prickled with guilt at overhearing something he wasn't meant to. Unable to stand the curiosity and apprehension, he blurted out, "What was that about?"  
  
Bramblepaw sighed, turning her head away from him to stare at the ground. "There are forces at work that you aren't aware of."  
  
"What do you know?" He urged, voice quiet but insistent.  
  
"I wish I could tell you." Bramblepaw's nose wrinkled in frustration. "I don't even understand it fully. Only Sweetrose does, maybe Duskstar too?" She sighed again. "I wish it was half-moon already, then I'd know more."  
  
"But even then you couldn't tell me, right?" Skypaw's head lowered in dejection. "Medicine cats can't share their dreams from the Moonstream unless it endangers the Clan."  
  
"What if it does?" Bramblepaw whispered.  
  


«——————»

  
Skypaw sat atop the hill, wind gentling tugging at the fur on his back. The sky was darkening with dusk and all was quiet as he surveyed the land below him. All was peaceful in the territories.   
  
An unnatural chill entered the air, prompting him to look at the sky in confusion, only to find dark, rolling clouds blanketing the sky instead of the setting sun. Horror struck his heart as the wind picked up, forcing him to unsheathe his claws and dig them into the ground lest he be flung off the hill.   
  
"Help!" Skypaw didn't know if the cry was his own as it spiraled away into the storm. He lost his grip on the soil as it was ripped away from the ground, sending him into the stinging claws of the sky.   
  
"Get up!" A paw rudely batted him across the ear.   
  
Skypaw slowly opened his eyes, finding them heavy with sleep. He was sprawled halfway out of his nest, indicated by the coldness of the packed earth floor against his shoulder. Everything was dark -  _ why was it so dark? _ __  
  
"This isn't the time for your laziness, 'paw!" The voice that woke up hissed again. Skypaw scented the air to smell Cedarsong. Ears still ringing with that howling of wind, he shot to his paws, embarrassed that it was the deputy of all cats to see him like this.   
  
"What time is it?" He croaked.   
  
"Moonhigh." Cedarsong's voice was quiet with distance. She was across the den, towards the other apprentices. "Pebblepaw, Dustpaw, Owlpaw, you three need to be up and ready for battle quickly! Duskstar has chosen you."   
  
"What about us?" Snowpaw's voice was soft with sleep. Skypaw’s heart jumped at the sound.   
  
"You three and Skypaw will stay behind to guard the camp," she replied. "Pebblepaw and brothers, move it!" By the sudden breeze that swept towards the tunnel, Skypaw assumed she had left. A second breeze told him they had followed.   
  
A faint glow came from the tunnel, guiding him out as well. The moon was close enough to being full that it still washed the camp in its white light. Skypaw sighed in relief at finally being able to see. Several pairs of glowing eyes and faint silhouettes sat in the center of the camp, tails flicking with trepidation.    
  
He managed to pick his mother out by scent from the group. He padded up to her, unsure of where to step as her black fur made her practically invisible. Only her blue eyes, glowing in the moonlight and blinking down at him, provided any sort of guidance.   
  
"What's happening?" Skypaw asked anxiously once he sat down.   
  
Darkbreeze wrapped her tail around him to press him close. "Badgerfang ran into camp not too long ago to warn us that HeatherClan was making another move. Duskstar called a patrol to meet them, but he thinks this'll become a battle. He brought all the strongest warriors."   
  
Skypaw squinted up at her. "Then why are you here?"   
  
"My pelt blends in with the darkness," she purred. Her eyes, however, were clouded with worry. "He said it would be handy in the cave. I still wish he had brought me."   
  
With a shock, Skypaw remembered that his father only had four more lives left. And he had gone to meet HeatherClan in battle. He pressed his flank against Darkbreeze's side, hoping it was enough to comfort her, and maybe himself as well.  
  
A slide of fur on his side and the scent of herbs alerted him to Bramblepaw’s presence. Without a word, she settled down with them. A glimpse out of the corner of his eye revealed that she was kneading the ground anxiously.   
  
They sat like that for some time, giving time for Skypaw to think through all the ways the battle could go wrong. What if Duskstar lost another life? What if he lost all four? What if one of the other warriors died? They didn't have several lives like his father did. With all his worries, Skypaw was almost pressed to start kneading like his sister.   
  
Roseheart paced in the front of the group, close enough to the camp entrance that the moon illuminated her fur more than the others so that Skypaw could identify her. Her belly already appeared swollen with kits. He understood why she had been left in camp. What he didn’t understand was why nobody noticed she was pregnant until the medicine cats pointed it out. The thought was quickly dismissed; it was the least of his concerns right now.  
  
Darkbreeze got up from his side and made her way to Roseheart, leaving his left side cold from where it had been leaning against her. Skypaw pricked his ears to hear what his mother had to say, but they were too far away. Roseheart lashed her tail once at Darkbreeze's murmur and retreated into the nursery with his mother following.   
  
More and more cats began to slink back to their nests as time passed. Sweetrose called Bramblepaw back to the medicine den for final herb preparations. Eventually only three warriors, Snowpaw, and himself remained. Maplepaw had gone back to the apprentices' den with an angry growl, and Applepaw had followed him.   
  
A warrior detached herself from the main cluster and approached Skypaw. As she grew closer he saw it was Aspenleaf, her orange patches washed silver in the moonlight. He straightened up to properly meet her.   
  
"It'd be best if you were to go back to sleep," she murmured in his ear once she reached him. He blinked up at her then frowned.   
  
"What if-" He began to protest, but was interrupted when Aspenleaf collapsed under the silhouette of another cat. He jumped onto his paws as a second cat leaped over the boulders at the camp entrance, hissing at him. The scent of HeatherClan swamped his senses.   
  
With dread settling in his stomach, all experience flooded out of Skypaw. Dawn was just peaking over the horizon! They would lose the advantage of the cave.   
  
Horror crashed over him suddenly. If HeatherClan was attacking the camp, then what happened to the battle patrol at the border?   
  
The second cat, a large yet lithe dark ginger tom, barreled toward him. Skypaw had never seen a cat run that fast! His paws felt frozen to the ground. Before the tom could tackle him, Aspenleaf jumped in front of him and met the warrior head on.   
  
"Attacking a kit, are you now, Redwhisker?" Aspenleaf hissed, rearing on her hind legs to swipe at his face. He hissed back, matching her blow.   
  
A heavy weight slammed into his side, throwing Skypaw into the cave wall. The original warrior sat on top of his chest, the first light of dawn lighting her fur a bright ginger. He struggled to breathe under her weight. Behind her, he could see several warriors slipping into the camp, scurrying down tunnels where startled yowls soon broke out after their arrival.   
  
The ginger she-cat lifted a paw to strike. Skypaw writhed, trying to throw her off him, but he was too disoriented and shocked. He managed to knock her aim off, her claws coming down over his left eye. He screeched in pain as she scored a thin gash over his eyelid. Despite it all, relief filled him that she had only done that much, instead of something much worse.   
  
"Let him go you fox-heart!" Aspenleaf came to his rescue again, head-butting the warrior off him. He sucked in air as fast he could with the weight gone from his chest.   
  
"Skypaw, listen to me!" Aspenleaf whirled around to glare at him, ears flat and green eyes wild with fear and anger. "You need to fight back! I can't handle two warriors on my own!"   
  
Redwhisker was on his paws behind her, ready to strike. Skypaw heaved himself up, fighting the trembling of shock and pain. He charged at Redwhisker and weaved between the warrior's legs, slipping underneath him. He arched his back to throw the tom off his feet. Redwhisker fell over but kicked out with his hind legs, clawing Skypaw in the shoulder.   
  
Skypaw winced but made sure to have his back to the camp entrance. He fluffed out his fur to appear as large as possible while the red warrior righted himself. Skypaw reared onto his hind legs and swiped at Redwhisker's nose as soon as he was oriented. The HeatherClan cat jumped away, backing deeper into the cave. Skypaw advanced forward, keeping to the side so the rising sun was able to escape from behind his back, hitting the warrior right in the eyes.   
  
Aspenleaf was grappling with the ginger she-cat in the corner of his vision. The fight was brutal; he could see clumps of fur hanging off each and littering the ground around them.   
  
While he was distracted, Redwhisker leapt at him. Skypaw fell under the large tom. He yowled as claws dug into his belly. He squirmed away, shifting his balance to roll the warrior in the direction of the tunnels.    
  
They fell deeper into the shadows of the cave. The tunnel was right in front of them! Skypaw went limp in Redwhisker's claws. The tom's tail twitched in victory, already relaxing to set Skypaw aside, but Skypaw threw himself onto the warrior instead, forcing them both into a tumble down the tunnel. They fell down the slope.   
  
Darkness descended rapidly. The sounds of battle dissipated behind them, the sounds of their own scuffle echoing instead. As they came to a stop in the training cave, Skypaw jumped off Redwhisker, making sure to block the tiny dot of light from the camp with his head. His shoulders ached with the impact from falling, certainly covered with gritty scrapes by now.   
  
Redwhisker floundered in the darkness, kicking out all around him, trying to hit anything while he couldn't see. Creeping forward silently, Skypaw jabbed a claw into the warrior's side. He yelped and fell backwards, panting heavily, filling the whole tunnel with his fear-scent. Skypaw wrinkled his nose at the rank smell.   
  
He stepped up to Redwhisker and whispered, "Here I am." He jumped out of the way as the warrior swiped at him, feeling the movement of air as the paw passed. The only sounds were Redwhisker's frightened pants and the scrabbling of his claws on the ground. Skypaw circled around him and darted forward again.   
  
"Now I'm here!"  
  
Redwhisker lunged at him but Skypaw had already shifted to the right. The warrior landed heavily on the ground, breath escaping him with a grunt. Skypaw's confidence grew; the HeatherClan cat was helpless. If all went according to plan, he would get so frightened he would flee the tunnel and the camp. Skypaw would have defended his Clan like a true warrior!   
  
"Over here!" He called, prancing away as Redwhisker charged forward. The warrior slowed, unsure of where he was heading or what was in front of him. Skypaw turned around and shoved the warrior over while he was unguarded.   
  
Time wore on as Skypaw continued toying with the other tom, who showed no signs of fleeing. If anything, his fear disappeared and he grew more angry and violent instead. Doubt crept into Skypaw's mind, followed quickly by anxiety. So maybe he couldn't handle a warrior on his own, but where were the others? Wouldn't someone from his own Clan have noticed he went down the tunnels? His train of thought stopped at a single horrible question: what if CloudClan had been defeated?  _ What if there were no cats left to save him? _   
  
Skypaw's worry had distracted him enough that he was slow to dodge. Redwhisker's claws sank into his lower back and flung him to the side of the cave with a growl of satisfaction.   
  
"You mangy little 'paw," the warrior snarled, approaching him with slow, sure steps. Skypaw fought to catch his breath, the impact having knocked it out of him, and the sheer volume of it made him even more frightened. How was he supposed to hide in the darkness with all this noise? No wonder Redwhisker could track where he threw him!   
  
"You thought you could best me? You're just a kit!" Redwhisker spat. A paw stepped on Skypaw's chest, unsheathed claws digging in as the paw pressed harder. He couldn't breathe! He writhed desperately, using all his strength to try and push the warrior off him, but his muscles were failing him as exhaustion and soreness set in, adrenaline evaporating.   
  
"Are you going to kill me?" He gasped.   
  
Redwhisker made a noise of consideration. "No. You'll need to show me the way back. Then we'll see." The paw lifted off him and Skypaw jerked away, back hitting wall. His chest ached but he was able to catch his breath, which was a relief.   
  
"Up." Redwhisker poked his rib with an unsheathed claw, the threat obvious.   
  
Skypaw struggled to his paws. The air was still. All he could hear was Redwhisker's claws flexing and his own heart beating rapidly. He had to stifle the need to start panting as his chest seized; he had no idea where the tunnel was! Sunshadow had led him in and out, all of his training thus far had been for battle, not for navigating the tunnels.   
  
"I-I don-"   
  
"You don't what?" Redwhisker snarled. "Don't know how to get back? Don't we all." Skypaw felt the angry lash of his tail, as though Redwhisker wanted to claw him but couldn't. "No excuses, or else you're dead. If I need to find my own way, I will, but that won't be a pretty sight. After all, I have no qualms with killing kits like you."   
  
Skypaw's legs trembled. He was going to die! But at least he was the only cat in camp that could be called a kit...   
  
Bramblepaw! Skypaw almost wailed. If he couldn't find his way back, Redwhisker would kill his sister too! But if he did find the way back, what would stop him from killing her anyway?   
  
The spiralling panic that had grown to swamp his every sense suddenly vanished. Everything seemed to stop around him, his heart hardening. He couldn't lead Redwhisker to camp, even if he could find the way back. The HeatherClan tom clearly didn't care about the warrior code, and any cat like that was too dangerous to have in camp after a potentially devastating battle.   
  
"Are you going to move or what?" Redwhisker sounded unsettled.  _ As you should be, _ Skypaw thought, narrowing his eyes.   
  
"Yes." Skypaw straightened up with a calm acceptance. He padded forward to touch his nose to the wall and followed it with his whiskers brushing until it dropped away into the tunnel.   
  
"Follow me," he said over his shoulder, voice curt. He heard Redwhisker jerk, surprised at hearing Skypaw in another direction. He stalked along the tunnel, tail held out behind him enough to sense the warrior following him.    
  
He grew uneasy, but also relieved, as he realized there was no speck of light from the camp. They had been walking for awhile, much too long for them to not even see the camp yet, Skypaw figured. That meant that there was at least one more tunnel from the training cave, one the rest of the Clan didn’t know about.   
  
He had no idea where he was.   
  
"How much longer?"   
  
Was this how he died?   
  
"Answer me, 'paw!" Redwhisker snarled, panic tinging his voice.   
  
He stayed silent.   
  
Fresh air tickled his nose, easily distinguishable from the musty peat scent surrounding them. A slight breeze ruffled Skypaw's fur as it hit him head-on. The warrior sighed in relief as Skypaw's belly tightened in apprehension.  _ Where am I taking him? _ __  
  
The tunnel walls around them had become slightly visible, he realized. There must be some sort of light source down the tunnel, mostly hidden behind a curve in the wall as the tunnel veered left up ahead. Dread and doubt built up in his chest until he pushed it down and hardened his resolve. It was now or never.   
  
Skypaw whirled around and jumped onto Redwhisker, who yowled in surprised outrage. He clawed the warrior's ears desperately, throwing his weight to steer him into the wall.   
  
Redwhisker fell against the wall easily, but his claws dug into Skypaw's shoulders, threatening to fling him into the opposite tunnel wall.   
  
The world seemed to slow around Skypaw. Despite his earlier mental preparation, he realized he didn't want to die. He was too young to die! He wouldn't be able to receive his warrior name or partake in Clan life; all he could do was spectate from Silverpelt. He didn't want to die because of some mangy, bloodthirsty HeatherClan cat - there were much nobler things to sacrifice himself for!   
  
He watched in slow-motion as his paws reached towards Redwhisker. His claws dug into the warriors face, sinking into his cheeks, but they continued moving forward, meeting the tunnel wall behind them hard.   
  
A loud crack echoed through the tunnel. Redwhisker's head snapped forward, body going limp. In the dim light Skypaw was able to see his eyes widen and glaze over.    
  
He jumped back in horror, the warrior falling onto the ground before him. The back of his head was slightly damp, the metallic scent of blood rising from it. Skypaw sniffed the body before pressing his nose against his hind leg. The warrior did not stir, and no pulse thumped against his nose. He was dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is the last chapter written over the summer! everything after this will be recent, within the past month or two


	9. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which atonement must be made

Skypaw didn't know what to do. He didn't know where he was and he was too exhausted to drag Redwhisker's body with him. So he wandered towards the end of the tunnel, towards the faint light that lit the way. Maybe if he found the source, he could at least get above ground and find his way from there.  
  
His pawsteps were shaky, the exhaustion hitting him full force once the adrenaline wore off completely. His whole body stung sharply - the wounds on his back, the scrapes on his shoulders, the scratch over his eye. His head spun. He had killed another cat! He felt sick. It hadn't been a noble kill, had it? Redwhisker couldn’t have defended himself when surprised like that.  
  
The word lay at the tip of his tongue, but he felt that if he acknowledged it, things would never be the same.  
  
Skypaw nearly crashed into the wall as it took a sharp turn left. He stumbled back onto the right path, only to be blinded by a bright light ahead. Was this StarClan seeking justice against him? He blinked against it, letting his eyes adjust.  
  
It was another cave, sunken below the ground he was currently standing on. There was a large pool of water with stalagmites rising out of it, while stalactites hung from the ceiling. Everything glistened with water droplets, reflecting various rays of light, one of which landed right over his eyes. He stepped to the side to avoid it. He couldn't tell where the main source of it was.  
  
"Well, at least I won't die of thirst in the darkness while lost down here!" He muttered with fake cheer.  
  
Skypaw settled down beside the pool, making sure he didn't sit with light directly in his eyes. He stared into his watery reflection, ripples making him waver as dew dripped off the stalactites into the pool.  
  
The word rose up his throat unbidden, nearly choking him with it until he was compelled to address it.  
  
“Murder,” he whispered, searching the depths of his eyes in his reflection.  
  
He didn't know how long he sat there, but it was enough for the cold and stiffness to settle in his bones. Despite his exhaustion, he couldn't sleep. He didn't think he wanted to. Murderers don’t deserve that luxury, that escape from the knowledge of what they’ve done.  
  
_Can StarClan see me now, underneath all this dirt?_ He wondered miserably. _Do they even want to see me?_ __  
  
"Thank StarClan!"  
  
The exclamation startled Skypaw, making him jump to his paws, but his stiff muscles made him unsteady. He pitched forward into the pool.  
  
The cold water was a shock, but thankfully it wasn't very deep, so he was able to pop his head above with ease. His eyes met a golden chest as teeth clamped onto the back of his neck, pulling him back onto the rock face. He shivered as he met the cool rock below, fur plastered against his sides.  
  
"Skypaw, you're alive!" Wide amber eyes crowded into his face and he blinked blearily, but he could recognize his sister's voice from anywhere.  
  
"Bramblepaw?" He croaked. She pulled away enough for him to see her quivering with relief, and the golden shoulder of Sunshadow was visible beyond her head.  
  
"We feared the worst for you!" She began licking his fur the wrong way frantically, trying to get the water out and warm him up. He closed his eyes and let his sister care for him.  
  
"Aspenleaf was the last one to see you, and she didn't know where you were," Sunshadow explained, sitting close to his apprentice's head. "All she knew was that you were alone with a dangerous warrior. When we couldn't find you, hopes weren't exactly high."  
  
"I killed him," Skypaw whispered, opening his eyes to stare blankly at the cave ceiling. "I broke the warrior code. I turned my back on StarClan."  
  
Shocked silence met his admission. He didn’t look to see their reactions.  
  
"Silly Sky," Bramblepaw finally purred, affection and concern audible in her voice. "StarClan led me to you. If you weren't worth saving, then you could've died down here."  
  
He closed his eyes again and sighed. "Are you sure Sunshadow didn't just track me?"  
  
"I lost your scent in the training cave," Sunshadow told him.  
  
Redwhisker’s snarls echoed in his ears and he could still practically feel the claw in his side as he remembered the cave. He didn’t think he could train there again without those memories haunting him. Sunshadow and Bramblepaw exchanged worried glances at his lack of a response.  
  
“Come on, let’s get you back to camp.” Sunshadow nudged Skypaw’s flank with his nose. He stood up, his muscles resisting every move. Bramblepaw immediately came to his side and rested her shoulder against his. Sunshadow followed suit on the other side, and with their support he was able to hobble long enough that his muscles loosened to the point at which he could walk on his own.  
  
Sunshadow led the way back to camp, but his pawsteps were a lot less sure as they had been when he was with Skypaw in the training cave. He seemed to be sniffing an awful lot as well, as though he were relying on scent to guide the way. Skypaw could barely pay attention to all this; the darkness was pressing down on his senses, it was crushing him - __or is it the guilt? \- he needed to get out. Each echo of rocks scattered by their walking sounded like the scuffle in the training cave; the feel of the dirt slipping between his claws felt like Redwhisker’s fur as he had killed him. He held his breath, otherwise he would’ve been panting heavily and StarClan knows how loud that would be down here.  
  
“The camp’s right up ahead!” Sunshadow’s voice was cheerful, relieved even, though Skypaw hardly noticed. His own relief clouded his mind. Maybe his betrayal wouldn’t seem so horrible in the light of dawn.  
  
But as he stepped into the light of the camp, all it did was blind him. It felt like he was experiencing the judgment of all of StarClan. He trembled where he stood at the mouth of the tunnel, head bowed and eyes shut tight. Bramblepaw squeezed out from behind him, curling around him protectively.  
  
“You’re safe now, Skypaw,” she murmured in his ear. “I promise.”  
  


«——————»

  
Skypaw laid in a nest in the medicine den, paws tucked under his body and his head resting on his sister’s back. He stared at the ground with his left eye closed to allow the poultice to cover the scratch. Bramblepaw licked the top of his head soothingly, maybe to lull him to sleep, but he felt as though he could never sleep even with the thyme and poppy seeds Sweetrose had given him. Lichenpelt was in a nest only a few foxlengths away, head resting on his paws, and Whitepool was not much farther away, breathing heavily enough to be louder than the muffled noise of the camp.  
  
Duskstar and his patrol had arrived back in camp shortly after Skypaw had emerged from the tunnels. Down the tunnel of the medicine den he had been able to see them all flop down in the middle of the camp with an air of exhaustion and defeat, the faint light of dawn illuminating downcast eyes. Bramblepaw had gone out to treat their wounds, but Duskstar had come into the den where Sweetrose tended to him. They had settled down far away from Skypaw, murmuring to each other in voices that thinly veiled concern. His father hadn’t even noticed him, but Skypaw could hardly care at the time.  
  
Bramblepaw had returned once the sun was high enough to truly brighten the cave, leading a limping Whitepool inside. Once the warrior was situated in his nest, she had sat down next to Skypaw and whispered in his ear that the battle was lost and Duskstar had lost a life, bringing him down to three. She had looked frightened; she had not known that their father had so few lives left, and with dull surprise Skypaw realized that he had known about something important before his sister. He had no words of condolences to offer, one half of his mind in the present and the other half still in the tunnel with his crime.  
  
She had begun sharing tongues with him despite his unresponsiveness, or maybe because. As the sun continued to rise, he could admit to himself that she was making him feel better. Sometime during this, Sweetrose had left the den, Lichenpelt had entered, and Duskstar had fallen asleep. Skypaw couldn’t tell if Whitepool had as well.  
  
“Do you want to tell me what happened?” Bramblepaw asked quietly. He sighed and closed his right eye as well. “It might help to talk about it. But you don’t have to if you don’t want to.”  
  
Skypaw considered his options. If he told his sister, maybe she could tell him what StarClan felt and how he could fix it. Or maybe she would only be able to see him as the murderer he was. Or maybe the poppy seeds were actually taking effect, and his exhaustion was making the possibility of telling someone seem more and more appealing.  
  
“I had to lead him away.” He cringed slightly as he realized he spoke and he couldn’t take it back - he needed to continue. “Aspenleaf could’ve died if she had to deal with him too. So I brought him down into the tunnels because- I mean- how else would I have survived against a full fledged warrior?” Bramblepaw nodded sagely.  
  
“So I tried to taunt him, in the dark, to maybe scare him out of the camp so I didn’t have to fight him. But that didn’t work as planned.” He lashed his tail. “He got me. He… Redwhisker threatened to kill you and me if I didn’t lead him back out, and then I thought he would do it anyway even if I _did_ lead him back, and then I realized I couldn’t find my way back if I tried, so I went down a random tunnel and then I just _knew_ …”  
  
Bramblepaw ran her tail down his spine comfortingly. “You don’t need to go on.” She sounded troubled. He wished he didn’t tell her this. But he needed to end it.  
  
“I knew it was either me or him at that point. I acted all calm to fool him into following me, and then when he didn’t suspect anything I threw him into the wall. He didn’t get back up.”  
  
“Maybe… maybe he’s still alive?” She asked weakly. Skypaw lifted his head off her back, and looked at her briefly before averting his eyes.  
  
“He had no pulse.”  
  
A loud shuffling signalled Sweetrose’s entrance into the den, a warning that their privacy was coming to an end. Bramblepaw stared at the ground, her eyes flitting around frantically with her racing thoughts. Skypaw, meanwhile, watched Sweetrose as she busied herself in the corner. A blanket of silence rested over the den.  
  
“You know, Skypaw,” Sweetrose said amiably, ignoring the somber atmosphere. “You didn’t break the warrior code. There was a hostile cat in the camp, you were defending your Clan. And Redwhisker was acting outside of the code anyway, I mean, the nerve of that guy! Killing kits?” She snorted, as though she were simply making conversation.  
  
“Then why does it feel so wrong?” Skypaw forced the hope in his chest down.  
  
“It means you’ve got a strong set of morals!” She nodded, sure of herself as she organized the herbs. “Or you’re just naturally anxious. Maybe both!”  
  
The hanging bracken shook violently as Eagleclaw burst into the den, looking behind him. Sweetrose looked up, ears perking in irritation at the noise, until Roseheart followed her mate inside much more quietly, almost sluggishly. Her face was scrunched up in discomfort and worry, ears flat against her head. Sweetrose got up to her paws in her corner and hurriedly approached them.  
  
“What’s wrong?” Sweetrose demanded.  
  
“I’ve been having stomach pains ever since the battle,” Roseheart said.  
  
“Could it have hurt the kits?” Eagleclaw fretted, leaning against Roseheart’s side as she swayed slightly. Sweetrose looked alarmed.  
  
“Bramblepaw, please get some raspberry leaves,” Sweetrose instructed, before moving forward and guiding Roseheart into a nest. Bramblepaw sprang up to obey her mentor. Skypaw watched intently, mind feeling clearer now that he was distracted by the commotion.  
  
“Now, Roseheart, who were you fighting?” Sweetrose asked, settling down beside the she-cat. Eagleclaw sat on the other side of his mate, paw fidgeting with barely restrained anxiety.  
  
“Hollycloud, I think?” Roseheart shook her head. “It was too dark to tell. Maybe her brother, Breezefall?” Her eyes looked haunted for a second. “We used to be friends, the three of us, back when we were apprentices at Gatherings.”  
  
Bramblepaw came back with the leaves, placing them in front of the she-cat before scurrying back to Skypaw.  
  
“Maybe you should go and lay down on the rocks,” she suggested to him quietly. “Give them some privacy, you know? I’ll come with you.”  
  
She nudged him to his paws and led him out of the den, walking alongside him with their shoulders lightly brushing to let him know she was there. As they rounded around the corner of the tunnel into the camp, rays of sunlight struck him in the eye, making him wince into his sister’s side.  
  
They stepped through the vines hanging over the camp entrance. Skypaw had to squint against the sunlight, colorful shapes dancing across his vision. Even with the ache in his eyes, the light was a relief, clearing his mind in a way that resting in the dark cave couldn’t achieve.  
  
He laid down on top of a boulder off to the side of the camp entrance, Bramblepaw settling down next to him, fur mingling with his. Her amber eyes stared straight, examining the horizon and the territories below them. Skypaw watched her cautiously.  
  
Perhaps it was the sun’s warmth on his back, so gently comforting, or perhaps it was his sister’s worried look beside him. Nevertheless, resolve sat deep in his chest. He would atone for his violation of the warrior code by becoming the best warrior possible - maybe then StarClan could forgive him. He would put his Clanmates before himself from now on, starting with his sister.  
  
He nudged her shoulder and blinked warmly. “Enough about me. How are _you_ feeling?”  
  


«——————»

  
Skypaw jerked awake with his heart pounding and his chest heaving. He sat up quickly, a piece of moss falling off his head. He looked around with wide eyes. He couldn’t remember what his dream was, but he could guess. He lashed his tail bitterly as he stepped out of his nest and down the tunnel.  
  
Dawn light was just peering through the camp entrance, illuminating Cedarsong as she stood in the center of the camp with others crowded around her. He bounded towards her, worming his way between the legs of the other cats.  
  
“We all know the current assignments, right? No?” She sighed irritably. “Badgerfang, Lichenpelt, Roseheart, and Snowpaw are on for the dawn hunting patrol!” Cedarsong called out. “And Maplepaw, Kest-”  
  
“Roseheart isn’t available, let me go instead!” Skypaw called, pushing his way to the front.  
  
Cedarsong stared at him doubtfully. “And why is that?”  
  
“She’s busy in the medicine den.”  
  
“Do you even know how to hunt?” She sniffed. “It’s important we feed the Clan while we’re recovering, especially now that we’ve lost the territory across the river.”  
  
“I’ve caught prey before!” Skypaw retorted just as Snowpaw called out, “I’ll help him if he needs it!” Skypaw’s heart stuttered and he ducked his head slightly, not wanting to turn around to where he had heard the older apprentice’s voice.  
  
Cedarsong looked down at him consideringly before acquiescing. “Well, we do need some more paws on hand…”  
  
“Thank you!” Skypaw bounced to his paws and squeezed through his Clanmates once more, this time away from the deputy and towards the cave entrance. Snowpaw approached, more subdued but blue eyes glinting affably.  
  
“This is your first hunting patrol, right?” She inquired once she reached him. He only had the chance to nod before her mentor and Badgerfang met up with them.  
  
“Let’s get a move on,” Lichenpelt mumbled, voice tinged with exhaustion. His whole body seemed to be sagging towards the ground. Skypaw noticed that his ear had a new nick in it.  
  
The group picked their way down the rocks below the cave, muscles sore and wounds still raw. Lichenpelt and Badgerfang muttered amongst themselves as the patrol headed into the pine forest. Skypaw inhaled deeply, savoring the scent of the trees around him. He would never tire of the feel of soft needles beneath his paws, a relief from the hard cave floor.  
  
“So, Skypaw,” Snowpaw spoke up, glancing towards him as she walked alongside him. “I heard you fought a whole warrior! I think that was really brave of you.”  
  
Skypaw grimaced at the reminder, but her eyes held no malice, blue as the river on a clear day. Patches of light, broken up by the branches above them, fell across her face as they walked. He averted his eyes quickly, feeling his face warm. “Thanks, Snowpaw.”  
  
“Let’s stop here,” Badgerfang suggested once they were deep enough into the forest. He turned towards Skypaw. “Do you want some practice first? I know there hasn’t really been any time for your training.”  
  
Skypaw froze, not sure of what to do. He didn’t want to appear like a fool in front of Snowpaw, StarClan knows how much he did as a kit. But what if he looked like a fool because he didn’t practice?  
  
“For StarClan’s sake, just go on and hunt,” Lichenpelt interrupted his thoughts. “Get help when you need it. For now, Snowpaw, let’s see how your skills are developing.” The senior warrior stormed away, not waiting for his apprentice’s response. Snowpaw, after a moment of surprised hesitation, ran after him, looking back at Skypaw apologetically.  
  
Leaving him alone with Badgerfang. Skypaw fidgeted besides the older warrior, not knowing what to do. The tom wasn’t a senior warrior, nor was he young or inexperienced; he was adept, respectable, intimidating even, at least to Skypaw.  
  
“Might as well see what you can do.” Badgerfang shrugged. “You need to learn at some point, especially with Sunshadow injured.”  
  


«——————»

  
Skypaw bounded up the rocks to the camp entrance after Badgerfang, a prairie dog and mouse swinging from his jaws. He was satisfied with his freshkill, glad to have served his Clan. Badgerfang had instructed him through it well; Skypaw had thought it would be awkward and uncomfortable to be left alone with the warrior, but Badgerfang had kept his demonstrations brief and casual. Skypaw had actually enjoyed himself through it.  
  
He followed the warrior to the freshkill pile and deposited the prey he had. As he looked back up, he noticed Silverfrost and Cedarsong with their heads ducked together.  
  
“We couldn’t find it,” Silverfrost told the deputy. Skypaw could barely hear her from where he stood. He was about to strain to listen before he realized that it was rude to eavesdrop. He began walking away, but still managed to catch Silverfrost add, “It’s as though it never existed.”  
  
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Tallstone for a Clan meeting!" Duskstar’s voice rang out clear through the cave, jerking Skypaw’s attention away from the deputy’s matters. He moved to assemble with the rest of the Clan in front of the large boulder jutting from the wall of the cave. Bramblepaw slunk up beside him, smelling sharply of herbs.  
  
“Owlpaw, Pebblepaw, and Dustpaw,” Duskstar called. “Please step forward.” Skypaw watched with eager eyes as the three older apprentices did as his father asked, each of them trembling with excitement. Duskstar leapt down from the Tallstone to meet them.  
  
“For their bravery in the recent battle with HeatherClan,” Duskstar began. “These three apprentices shall be welcomed into the Clan as warriors. They have more than proved that they are ready.”  
  
Duskstar looked towards the cave ceiling, as though he were speaking directly to StarClan. “I, Duskstar, leader of CloudClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as warriors in his turn.” He turned his gaze towards Owlpaw first. The young tom’s amber eyes shone. “Owlpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?”  
  
Owlpaw, normally so nervous, showed no lack of conviction now. “I do.”  
  
“Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Owlpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Owlface. StarClan honors your determination and wit, and we welcome you as a full warrior of CloudClan.” Duskstar rested his muzzle on on Owlface’s head as the new warrior licked his shoulder.  
  
The ceremony carried on, Duskstar turning towards Pebblepaw next. “Pebblepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?”  
  
Pebblepaw, standing her ground firmly, eyes steeled with determination, and nodded and said “I do.”  
  
“Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Pebblepaw, from this moment on you will be known as Pebblepool. StarClan honors your independence and intelligence, and we welcome you as a full warrior of CloudClan.” Pebblepool licked Duskstar’s shoulder as he laid his muzzle on her head..  
  
Finally, Duskstar turned to Dustpaw, who had watched his siblings calmly, only his curled tail showing his anticipation. Duskstar’s smile was clear in his voice. “Dustpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?”  
  
“I do,” Dustpaw replied eagerly.  
  
“Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Dustpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Dustfall. StarClan honors your patience and forethought, and we welcome you as a full warrior of CloudClan.” Dustfall stepped forward so that Duskstar could place his muzzle on his forehead. Dustfall then licked his leader’s shoulder.  
  
When the Clan raised their heads to celebrate, Skypaw didn’t hesitate to join in. “Owlface! Pebblepool! Dustfall!”  
  
Duskstar faced the new warriors, amber eyes warm. “You three will sit vigil tonight. Remember, you cannot speak during it.” He glanced outside the cave to check the time. “It will start at sundown.”  
  
Skypaw approached the new warriors , fighting against the crowd to meet them. He could feel Bramblepaw at his tail. He squeezed past the last set of legs and accidentally bumped into Owlface, causing him to jump in suprise.  
  
“Congratulations, you guys!” Skypaw bounced around the three. “Oh, I wish I were in your paws!”  
  
“You’re barely even six moons, it’ll be your turn soon enough,” Dustfall purred, nudging Skypaw and almost making him topple over. Skypaw shook out his fur in indignation.  
  
“I wonder what my warrior name will be!” Skypaw marveled aloud.  
  
“You look like a Skyfur to me,” Pebblepool said, eyes squinting in thought. “No, that’s too boring for Duskstar to give to his own son though. Skysong?”  
  
“Skyflower sounds nice,” Owlface interjected.  
  
“Skystream?” Bramblepaw nudged him.  
  
“It would be so cool if the scratch over your eye scarred,” Dustfall sighed hopefully. “Then you could be _Skyscar_!”  
  
“Oh, I like them all!” He lamented, hiding a wince at Dustfall’s suggestion. “What about you, Bramblepaw? I think you’d be better as a -flower than I would. Brambleflower!”  
  
“What about… Brambleleaf?” Pebblepool proposed.  
  
“Bramblethorn,” Dustfall added.  
  
“Bramblepelt?” Owlface chimed in eagerly.   
  
“That’s too bland!” Skypaw laughed, poking Owlface. Then, with a gasp, he exclaimed, “Oh I know! Bramble __heart!”  
  
“Come on, you three,” Cedarsong announced her presence suddenly, breaking up the naming. All five cats jumped at the sound of her voice, no one having noticed her approach. “It’s sundown, time for your vigil to start.” Her blue eyes danced with mirth. “No more apprentice games.”  
  
Owlface’s eyes skitted around nervously, previous enthusiasm forgotten, while Dustfall pouted at the interruption. Nevertheless, the three young warriors stood and followed Cedarsong to the front of camp. Skypaw watched as the deputy sat them down at the edge of the cave, sitting with their backs to the wall in a way that they could look both inside and outside.  
  
“That’ll be you in another six moons or so,” Bramblepaw purred.  
  
“Yeah.” Skypaw’s ears and tail dropped slightly.  
  
He would be all alone when he sat his vigil.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> things start getting worse from here :^( he's much too young to be dealing with this kind of stress
> 
> so i'm thinking that this will have about three parts to it, and part one will be ending around chapter 12 or 13.. so uh. yeah this is gonna be a long one. in between each part i'll be posting an updated allegiances cause. a lot happens.


	10. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which peace is made and sins are forgiven

Skypaw managed to wake without a nightmare interrupting his sleep early. He took the time to stretch in his nest, yawning contentedly. The muffled sounds of camp activity provided soothing background noise. From the amount of light entering the cave, he estimated it was nearly sunhigh. _I wonder why nobody’s come to wake me up yet_ , he thought absentmindedly with a flick of his tail.  
  
The camp suddenly became deathly quiet, a startling contrast to the soft, busy hum he had appreciated just a moment before. Deciding to investigate, he hurried out of his nest and down the tunnel, slowing down as the end came in sight. He peered around the tunnel wall into the camp, hoping his ears didn’t poke out and reveal his presence.  
  
The camp was still, all the cats visible to Skypaw frozen where they were, staring towards the camp entrance at something that he couldn’t see. He stepped further to look in the same direction, only for a chill to overcome him, a shudder racking through his body.  
  
A group of unfamiliar cats stood at the mouth of the cave. A dappled gray tom stood at the front, with a ginger she-cat - _the_ ginger she-cat, Skypaw realized, the wound over his eye stinging with the memory - and a brown tabby she-cat behind him on either side. The bitter scent of HeatherClan washed over him.  
  
Thistletail squeezed his way past the group, scorn obvious on his face. “Where’s Duskstar?” He called, voice tight with restrained hostility. Darkbreeze and Eagleclaw followed him into the camp, both looking uneasy.  
  
The odd stillness was broken as Cedarsong made her way to them. “He’s out on patrol. What is the meaning of this?”  
  
“Our warrior Redwhisker never returned from the battle two days ago,” the gray tom said. Skypaw nearly began hyperventilating right there; did they know that Redwhisker was dead? Did they know _he_ killed their warrior? Needing to do something, Skypaw slipped out of the tunnel and crept towards the nearest CloudClan cat. It turned out to be Aspenleaf, who, by the looks of it, had been sharing tongues with Sunshadow before the HeatherClan patrol’s arrival. He could feel the HeatherClan cat’s eyes boring holes into the back of his head as he moved.  
  
Aspenleaf seemed surprised to see Skypaw. “How are you?” She asked softly, green eyes glinting knowingly.  
  
Skypaw didn’t respond. Instead, he bent his head down and buried it in Sunshadow’s shoulder. His mentor sighed sadly.  
  
“I killed him, oh StarClan I killed him,” Skypaw mumbled into his fur. “What are they going to do with me? I killed Redwhisker. I killed their clanmate. I killed him, I killed him.”  
  
“Skypaw,” Sunshadow whispered. “It’s going to be fine. They can’t do anything to you. I won’t let them, and neither will anyone else.”  
  
“B-But-”  
  
“And why is that our problem, Dapplefur?” Cedarsong sneered, loud enough in the quiet cave that the sound broke Skypaw off, making him flinch.  
  
“We’re not here to pick a fight,” Dapplefur answered diplomatically. “We jus-”  
  
“StarClan knows you couldn’t handle another one,” the ginger she-cat Skypaw had fought with snickered. Dapplefur hummed, annoyed.  
  
“Shut up, Gingerleaf!” The other she-cat admonished. “This is your brother we’re talking about.”  
  
“I’m sure he’s fine, he can take care of himself,” Gingerleaf sniffed imperiously. “Especially against these cave-dwelling _worms_.”  
  
Skypaw could have laughed at the situation. Here she was, continuing her superiority act while her brother was dead. Killed by a mere apprentice, a _cave-dwelling_ one at that. The laugh came out as a sob, stifled by Sunshadow’s fur but still concerningly loud without any other noise. Sunshadow stiffened under him. The whole cave grew tense.  
  
“Who-Who found that funny?” Gingerleaf snapped, scanning the cave. Without looking up, Skypaw could feel her gaze zero in on him. She stalked forward until she stood next to him. “Was it you, you stupid ‘paw?” All the CloudClan cats leaned forward, ready to make a move as the atmosphere soured further.  
  
“Oh yeah, I remember you. I clawed your eye!” She jeered. “How’s that going for you?”  
  
“Dapplefur, if you can’t control your warriors-” Cedarsong warned icily.  
  
“Step away from my apprentice,” Sunshadow growled. Gingerleaf cackled. Skypaw trembled.  
  
“Or you’ll what?” She taunted. “Defeat me in ba-”  
  
Skypaw couldn’t take it anymore. He lifted his head and stared her straight in the eyes. “I regret to inform you,” he said, monotone and robotic, “that your brother Redwhisker is dead.”  
  
She stepped back, eyes narrowing. “No he isn’t. You’re lying.”  
  
Skypaw took a breath. “I regret to inf-”  
  
“I heard what you said, you mangy coward!” She snarled, lifting her paw to strike him.  
  
“Gingerleaf!” Dapplefur barked. “Stop that, now!”  
  
“I knew this was going to happen,” the brown tabby muttered.  
  
“Not _now_ , Willowflight,” Dapplefur huffed, exasperated. He stepped forward slowly, gaze on Skypaw. “How do you know that, young one?”  
  
Skypaw’s eyes flit all over the camp, jumping from each encouraging, protective face of his clanmates. “I… I was the one who killed him.”  
  
Silence met his words. Dapplefur’s eyes widened in shock. Willowflight tensed, hostility dripping off her in waves. Skypaw was afraid to look at Gingerleaf.  
  
“I-I see,” Dapplefur answered, voice quiet. He stared at him with open wariness and disinclination. “Would you be able to lead us to his body? We’d like to bring him back to HeatherClan for a proper burial.”  
  
“You don’t have to,” Sunshadow murmured in his ear immediately.  
  
“I think I do,” Skypaw murmured back, accepting his fate. Maybe it would provide closure. Maybe it was his penance.  
  
“Wait, Skypaw!” His sister called from across the cave. He glanced up to see her bounding towards him, weaving around the scattered groups of cats. “Skypaw, don’t you dare go alone! I’m coming with you.”  
  
“A… medicine cat? Medicine cat _apprentice_?” Willowflight observed under her breath, confused.  
  
“I’ll go too,” Sunshadow said, allowing no room for question. He eyed the HeatherClan cats venomously.  
  
“As will I,” Aspenleaf volunteered. “Need all the extra paws you can get if you’re gonna carry a whole cat in that cramped space!” Her offer seemed friendly enough, but Skypaw detected a sort of protective vitriol in it. He appreciated it.  
  
He risked a glance at Gingerleaf. The she-cat hadn’t spoken a word, but one look revealed the mix of emotions she was experiencing. Her claws flexed against the cave floor, eyes narrowed with pure malice and pain. Skypaw gulped and quickly averted his eyes once more.  
  
“Keep him away from me or else I can’t promise he won’t get away unscathed,” she said, voice deadpan.  
  
Dapplefur and Willowflight exchanged glances. “We’d better hurry then. Skypaw, lead the way.”  
  
So Skypaw stood on shaky legs with his sister a much needed, steady presence to his left. He picked his way to the back of the cave under the watch of the rest of the Clan. Behind him and Bramblepaw were Dapplefur and Willowflight, then Gingerleaf, with Sunshadow and Aspenleaf taking up the rear.  
  
He stepped into the tunnel, the darkness engulfing him quickly. His heart thudded against his ribcage, thundering in his ears. The HeatherClan cats’ presence was heavy at his back , but he was steadied by the sensation of Bramblepaw’s breath stirring the fur along his tail.  
  
The ground sloped under him much sooner than he expected. Skypaw staggered along, blinking back the colorful spots that danced across his vision. His stomach with tight with cramps.  
  
A pelt brushed against his left side, his sister’s scent washing over him and soothing his nerves. She walked alongside him, letting him lean against her. Matching him stride for stride, she guided him down the tunnel while his mind was elsewhere.  
  
Before he knew it, they were in the training cave, the gentle flow of air alerting him to the transition. The HeatherClan cats were annoyingly loud behind him as their claws scratched against the floor and their breaths came out in audible huffs. Skypaw slowed to a stop, heart beating faster than ever as he realized how close they had already gotten to the scene. Bramblepaw slipped in front of him, her tail wrapping itself around his shoulder reassuringly, drawing him forward once more. The air grew still again as another tunnel enveloped them.  
  
Paws dragging with dread, his mind drifted, the scent of blood practically emanating from the body down the tunnel. The tension in the air was mounting - palpable, even - as they drew closer. The tunnel walls brightened slightly, each indentation and detail highlighted more and more. Without his sister in front of him and Sunshadow and Aspenleaf behind him, his paws would have long been frozen to the ground with dread back in the training cave.  
  
When it was light enough to see the silhouette of her head in front of him, Bramblepaw slowed to a stop. Skypaw’s heart jumped up his throat.  
  
“Here he is,” she murmured.  
  
The panic immediately turned into nausea when Skypaw realized that the scent of blood wasn’t actually a memory. He stood back to let the HeatherClan cats crowd around Redwhisker’s body, cringing away from their accusatory glares and tense stances. Even Dapplefur, the most friendly of the three, seemed to be openly hostile upon seeing his clanmate.  
  
The patrol picked up Redwhisker and settled him on their shoulders. Aspenleaf and Sunshadow resumed their positions at the back, leaving Skypaw to take up the front with Bramblepaw. They set off towards the camp once more, much to Skypaw’s relief. He tried to ignore the heavy weight of their eyes on him from behind.  
  


«——————»

  
Skypaw was back in the tunnel, the weight of a warrior under his paws as he savagely threw him against the wall. He felt blood splatter against his face, saw the red overtake the darkness and drench the walls, as if to mark the scene of the crime, of Skypaw’s wretched sin. He felt sick to his stomach. There was so much _blood._  
  
He could hear the voices wailing in distance, mourning Redwhisker’s death, cursing Skypaw’s existence. He dropped to the ground, covering his ears with his paws. Their volume increased and the air around him tugged at his fur, growing more intense until the wind was swirling around him and all he could hear was a cacophony of voices, all directed at him.  
  
He looked up, only to see that the open sky was above him. The wind had carried the hill around him away, exposing him and his crime for the rest of the world to witness.  
  
_See how he cowers!_ The wind screamed. _See the awful deed he has committed!_  
  
The wind tore at his face with incorporeal claws, dragging him up into the air, into the dark clouds ready to swallow his soul. The sky for which he was named, delivering his final judgment, the clouds reaching out towards him in their eagerness to punish him. The roaring all around him sounded like the very choirs of StarClan chanting his guilty verdict, sending him to the dark place where murderers like him went.  
  
The wind was too strong, it was stealing the very air from his lungs, suffocating him even in the depths of the atmosphere. The world faded around him as he fought for breath, until he saw no more.  
  
Skypaw woke with a gasp, stumbling to his paws. Every inch of his body trembled. He bent over as his chest constricted painfully. He couldn’t breathe - _oh StarClan please have mercy_ \- the world spun around him; he gasped to keep living even as life fled his body.  
  
His heart stuttered, gradually slowing to a steady pace as his chest loosened its vise around his lungs. He suddenly noticed his tail was tucked between his legs and he jerked it back out with a resigned sigh. Gingerly picking his way across the den in the unnaturally still air, he stepped through the darkness, too exhausted to sense the lack of airflow. He found the tunnel mostly by luck, staggering alongside the wall until the light of the waning gibbous washed over him from the camp entrance. He could see the silhouette of Badgerfang standing guard, face stony in the moonlight.  
  
Skypaw nearly left to slip past him and sit on the rocks outside, to observe the territories below him or Silverpelt above him, but terror filled him at the thought of divine retribution. Instead, he turned the opposite way and padded towards the tunnel at the back of the cave. The darkness swallowed him entirely, nearly sending him back into the cave were it not for the stronger fear of the light.  
  
He wandered aimlessly through the tunnels, barely noticing the silence or the sloping ground or the rare particle of light that flitted in front of him. His paws seemed to be following their own path.  
  
The tunnel began to slowly grow brighter until he could distinguish the walls on either side of him. Skypaw inched forward, creeping around a bend that obscured the worst of it. Once he rounded it, his eyes met bright light, forcing him to squint against it.  
  
It was the cave he had found himself in after killing Redwhisker. The light bouncing off the dewy rocks was more washed out, the cold white of moonlight. He could feel the chill prickling at the ends of his pelt, all the way down to his bones.  
  
There was another cat in the cave with him. Surrounded by a white glow, they seemed to be the sole light source, outshining even the thin glimpses of moonlight. Their back was to him, familiar brown tabby fur, translucent enough that Skypaw could see straight through their body. Their head turned to him as he inhaled sharply in surprise. Amber eyes met his gaze.  
  
“Duskstar?” Skypaw’s voice rang out eerily in the cave, breaking the quiet symphony of water dripping. “Wh-What happened to you?”  
  
His father stood and stepped towards him languidly. Skypaw stepped back. White sparks emerged from Duskstar’s paws as he walked, curling around his legs and chest in a lazy fashion. Skypaw’s heart raced, thundering in his ears as his father approached. His paws were stuck to the ground.  
  
“ _My son._ ” Duskstar touched his nose to Skypaw’s forehead. “ _There’s no need for fear._ ” As if on command, Skypaw’s chest loosened and his heartbeat slowed. The taut anxiety in his stomach fled in a single exhale. “ _Come with me._ ”  
  
His paws unstuck, allowing him to follow his father as he was led deeper into the cave. He walked through white sparks, around stalagmites, across the cold packed earth as the cave opened up around him. Soon, the large pool was before them. Duskstar sat next to it, so Skypaw did the same. The surface of the water was still.  
  
“ _You and your sister were born during the bleeding moon,_ ” Duskstar told him, eyes scrutinizing him in the mirror of the pool. “ _There were speculations among the Clan, that it was a bad omen._ ” He sighed. “ _I can’t but feel as though they were right._ ”  
  
He suddenly shook his head, gaze steely when it returned to Skypaw’s. “ _Look at your reflection. Tell me what you see._ ” Duskstar instructed. Skypaw frowned at the subject change and its possible implications, but obeyed, focusing on his own face intently. He dimly noted that his pupils were glowing white, as was the wound over his left eye. It wasn’t important, so his mind glossed over that detail.  
  
“I see-”  
  
“Skypaw.”  
  
His ears pricked at the sound of his sister’s voice behind him. He lifted his head and looked over his shoulder. A trail of pawprints, glowing white, led towards where he was sitting at the pool. His sister stood at the beginning of them, frowning softly in their soft light.  
  
Duskstar turned to her and straightened up. “ _Bramblepaw, you cannot interrupt-_ ”  
  
She ignored him and began to approach them, paws fitting into the prints Skypaw had left behind, extinguishing their light. She sat down on his other side, pressing against his flank firmly to ground him. She stared at Duskstar coolly.  
  
After a pause, Duskstar nodded. “ _Continue, then, Skypaw._ ”  
  
Skypaw’s shoulders hunched as he peered into the pool once more. “I see…” He side-eyed his sister and sighed. “A coward. A traitor to the warrior code. Dishonorable, weak.” Bramblepaw’s tail curled around his back tightly.  
  
“ _What you see,_ ” - Duskstar’s voice boomed in the cave’s silence, making Skypaw flinch - “ _is false. You have committed no sin. Know that StarClan places no blame on you._ ”  
  
“But-” Skypaw protested.  
  
“Do not doubt our ancestors,” Bramblepaw murmured in his ear. “Listen to him.” Her words sounded distant, distracted. Skypaw sensed a double meaning behind them.  
  
“What do you mean?” He asked, glancing between her and Duskstar. “What-”  
  
“ _Blood shall be born anew, flowing in rivers of life and death_.” His father’s voice, speaking with the words of many cats, echoed among the rocks, surrounding him with the dew and the moonlight. His sister’s voice, a mere whisper underneath, her head bowed away from Skypaw. “ _Beware that which you value most_.”  


«——————»

  
Skypaw woke slowly to the sound of murmurs nearby. He blinked his eyes open, struggling to open them as they felt weighted down. He winced as his left eye stung with the motion.  
  
He stood on unsteady legs. The apprentices’ den was light enough that he could see it was nearly empty aside from two of the older apprentices sleeping in the middle. The one pure white pelt and the one ginger pelt indicated they were Snowpaw and Maplepaw. He crept along the edge of the cave so that he didn’t wake them as he left.  
  
It was nearly sunhigh, judging by the angle and color of the light entering the cave. Skypaw plodded over to the freshkill pile, feeling as though his whole body was drooping with exhaustion. It was like he hadn’t slept at all last night.  
  
Skypaw settled down with a rabbit in the warm light. He spotted his sister on her toes with her neck outstretched, as though she was peering over the cats in the camp. Her amber eyes landed on him and she immediately scurried towards him.  
  
“Do you remember last night?” She asked breathlessly once she reached him. With a sudden flash, it all came back to him.  
  
“Yes,” he replied softly, unsure.  
  
“Even the… last part?” Her eyes glanced around before she leaned in, voice lowered conspiratorially. “The prophecy?”  
  
Skypaw nodded solemnly, the sound of Duskstar and Bramblepaw’s voices in unison ringing in his ears.  
  
“You cannot speak of it to anybody,” she told him, voice stern. She sat down next to him with a sigh. “I don’t even know much more than you about it. Like I said earlier, only Sweetrose and Duskstar do.”  
  
He frowned. “Why was Duskstar in that… dream?” His ear twitched nervously. “Why were _you_ in my dream?”  
  
She shuffled her paws. “It was like how I found you the other day, in that cave,” Bramblepaw admitted after some hesitation. “I woke up and saw your pawprints, and just… knew I needed to follow them. That you would be at the end of them.” She licked her right paw casually. “As for Duskstar, that was the culmination of the five lives he’s lost, the parts of him that have joined StarClan’s ranks.”  
  
A chill swept through Skypaw, and he suddenly lost his appetite. He nudged the rabbit over to Bramblepaw.  
  
“How do you know so much about StarClan when you haven’t even gone to the Moonstream yet?” He rolled onto his back and batted at her nose. She dodged easily. She didn’t look at him.  
  
“There’s… a lot going on. It’s kinda hard to be a medicine cat apprentice and _not_ know more than usual in a time like this.” Her voice was distant. Skypaw’s brief playfulness dissipated. _So much for lightening the mood,_ he thought. They were silent for a few moments before he broke it once more.  
  
“What do you think he meant when he said ‘what you value most?’”  
  
“That’s what he and Sweetrose keep talking about lately.” She narrowed her eyes and scratched at the ground, distracted. “I wish I knew. Then I could, I don’t know, be useful for once.”  
  
Skypaw frowned at her. In her voice he heard a familiar echo of his own feelings. It didn’t feel right, to hear such a thought from his sister, who was always so cheerful and compassionate and self-assured.  
  
“Hey!” He nudged her shoulder. “Don’t talk like that. You’ve only been an apprentice for like, a week. You can’t be expected to be all-knowing about spiritual matters, especially when you’ve already done so much!”  
  
She scratched at the ground once more, but he noticed it wasn’t as forceful as before. “I feel like, I’m not doing as good as I should be, you know?”  
  
Realization struck Skypaw. “Duskstar and Darkbreeze, right?” He straightened up next to her, growing serious. “They were looking forward to you being a medicine cat since we were kits.”  
  
She glanced at him sheepishly. “I-I know that you were always upset about it. They always paid more attention to me than you because of it. StarClan, I feel foolish saying this. I have no right to complain, do I?”  
  
He rested his head on her shoulder. “When you feel bad because of it, then yeah, you do.” He pulled away to look her in the eyes. “Bramble, if they don’t appreciate you for what you’ve already done, then they’re a bunch of rabbit-brains!”  
  
Bramblepaw purred. “Thanks, Sky.”  
  
“Sweetrose doesn’t make you feel like that, right?” He inquired, concerned.  
  
“No.”  
  
“Good.” He sat back. “So at least then your mentor is letting you go at your own pace. That’s what really matters, then.”  
  
“That reminds me.” Her ears perked. “I - uh - based off everything that’s happened lately, I figured that, maybe, you should… start talking to Sweetrose regularly?”  
  
Skypaw tilted his head. “About what?”  
  
“Last night really proved to me how bad it was,” she confessed. “That, what happened in the battle, with Redwhisker, really hurt you, you know?” She brushed her tail along his back. “You can’t let it define who you are like that. I thought maybe Sweetrose can help you through it.”  
  
He leaned away from her, uncertain. Something at the back of his mind was telling him _you don’t deserve it, let the knowledge rot you, just as_ he _rots in the ground,_ but the image of Duskstar’s ghost from the dream burned in his mind’s eye.  
  
“What you see is false,” his father had told him, and Bramblepaw had told Skypaw not to doubt him. So he didn’t.  
  
“Alright,” Skypaw conceded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wrote this when i wasn't.. feeling particularly well so. sorry if its melodramatic cause it was kind of venting on my part...
> 
> on a lighter note ! i drew the scene where bramblepaw first enters the dream way back in december after i finished writing it ([here it is](https://oflgtfol.deviantart.com/art/peace-is-made-sins-are-forgiven-723287327))


	11. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which he heals and he hurts

“So, Skypaw,” Sweetrose began. “Where would you like to start?”  
  
Skypaw shuffled his paws. He was sitting in the back of the medicine den in the alcove where the herbs were stored, with Sweetrose sitting across from him. She had set moss there shortly before the arrangement had been made to make it more comfortable, although Skypaw still felt uneasy. He appreciated the effort nevertheless.  
  
“The beginning, I guess…” He took a shaky breath, bowing his head.  
  
He told her about how he had felt isolated and alone as a kit, with his sister spending more time in the medicine den than playing with him. How his parents cared more about her becoming a medicine cat than him becoming a warrior. How it was something good anyway, and he shouldn’t feel angry or jealous over something that would benefit the Clan.  
  
“But that’s - that’s all in the past, now,” he told Sweetrose. “Honestly, I don’t really care anymore. I am glad for her, and I’m proud of what she’s doing.”  
  
The medicine cat’s eyes were warm. “Continue, then, if you want.”  
  
So he did. He told her about how he had started to adjust, was getting closer with his sister, life was getting better. The anxiety of kithood had been becoming a thing of the past. But then the nightmares had started. Wind whipping through his fur, tearing clumps out, lifting him into the air, into the violent embrace of a poorly restrained beast. Sweetrose looked troubled.  
  
“How long have the nightmares been happening?”  
  
“Only since I’ve become an apprentice.” Skypaw frowned. “Only since I’ve stood at the top of the hill and really felt the wind for myself.”  
  
They sat in silence, each pondering the meaning behind his dreams.  
  
“I don’t know if this means anything, but each night they’ve been getting worse,” he added tentatively. “Although that might be because of… what happened. In the battle.”  
  
And so he moved onto discussing the grievous sin. How, everytime he was in the dark, he felt claws piercing his pelt, smelled the rank fear scent. Felt himself throw another cat, kill him without giving him the chance to fight back. How he felt the unnatural stillness of his flank against his nose.  
  
“You didn’t break the warrior code,” Sweetrose pointed out. “It was no sin.”  
  
“I know,” he replied quietly.  
  


«——————»

  
  
“How was it?” Bramblepaw rushed up to Skypaw as he exited the herb alcove behind Sweetrose. Herbs were scattered across the floor behind her, clustered next to Whitepool’s nest where the white warrior slept.  
  
“It was… helpful,” he answered.  
  
“He’ll come back another time so we can sort through some more,” Sweetrose called as she bustled away towards the herb piles Bramblepaw had busied herself with. “Ah, Bramblepaw, you did well here.”  
  
“Oh - thank you!” Bramblepaw buzzed with the praise at Skypaw’s side. He purred at her.  
  
The ferns at the den entrance quivered as a cat passed through. Skypaw turned to see it was Sunshadow.  
  
“Is Sk- hello Skypaw!” his mentor greeted. “Are you up for some training? I was cleared for it this morning.” He looked to Sweetrose, uncertain. She nodded slightly.  
  
“Uhm…” Skypaw flicked his ear and looked to the left of Sunshadow’s face, avoiding his eyes. “It’s not… in the tunnels, is it?”  
  
“No, it’ll be outside,” Sunshadow reassured him. “In the forest.”  
  
Skypaw perked up at the news. He loved the forest! “Oh, okay!”  
  
Skypaw followed his mentor out of the medicine den, waving his tail in goodbye to Bramblepaw as he stepped through the hanging ferns. Sunshadow led him across the camp towards the exit. They both picked their way gingerly down the rocks outside, neither fully recovered from the battle yet. Skypaw relished the warmth of the sun on his fur as a chilly breeze swept past him. The trees across the river on SageClan territory distinctly visible, leaves holding a muted red tint that clashed with the drab foliage below the hill. Leaf-fall was just around the corner, it seemed.  
  
As they descended down the hill and into the forest, the shadows of the branches fell over his back, breaking up the warmth. Skypaw didn’t mind; the drop in temperature brought with it the scent of the trees and prey, the sound of birds chattering above. The grass below him turned to pine needles, soft under his paws in a way the camp floor had never been. It was so open and free out in the forest. He wished he could live in it. He frowned at the thought.  
  
“Why doesn’t _Cloud_ Clan sleep under the _clouds_?” Skypaw muttered to himself. “Why do we hide away in some cave and spend half our lives in the tunnels instead of-”  
  
“What’d you say?” Sunshadow asked, looking over his shoulder to Skypaw, who had begun falling behind.  
  
“Uhm, nevermind!” Skypaw sprang forward to catch up, ears flattened sheepishly.  
  
“Well, alright!” Sunshadow purred. “We’re here, anyway.” He nosed his way through a bush, holding the leaves back so Skypaw could step through after him. Skypaw followed his mentor, eyes widening as he found himself in a small clearing, sheltered by bushes on three sides. On the opposite side of where they stood was a rocky outcrop a few tail-lengths above the ground with a scattering of pebbles below it. Skypaw scowled as he saw Maplepaw standing on top of it, talking with Silverfrost who stood on the flat ground with her back to Skypaw.  
  
“Oh, hello!” Sunshadow called, getting Silverfrost’s attention. “I didn’t know you two would be here. I hope you don’t mind the intrusion.”  
  
Maplepaw’s eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth, as though he were going to say that _yes,_ he minded, but his mentor spoke before he could. “Oh, no, it’s not a problem! In fact, it would be useful to have another ‘paw around for this.”  
  
Sunshadow began padding across the clearing, motioning for Skypaw to follow. “What are you trying to do?”  
  
“I’m trying to show Maplepaw how to use our terrain to our advantage,” Silverfrost said.  
  
“It’s _stupid_ ,” Maplepaw sniffed. “We already do that with the tunnels. Why can’t you teach me less specific moves for when we don’t fight on our territory. Like, I don’t know, how we just _lost_ against HeatherClan!”  
  
Sunshadow frowned. Silverfrost moved to whisper in his ear, “Don’t mind him, he’s defensive because he can’t get this right. He’ll be better once he does it correctly.”  
  
Maplepaw’s eyes flitted between the warriors, mouth downturned with indignation. “No, it’s because _he’s_ here!” Skypaw’s eyes widened and he flattened his ears as the warriors turned to him.  
  
“Maplepaw!” Silverfrost snapped. “Don’t be so rude! He’s your _clanmate_.”  
  
“He’s not my anything,” Maplepaw scoffed.  
  
Skypaw glanced around the clearing, avoiding the older apprentice in front of him. “Uhm-!”  
  
“Don’t worry, Skypaw,” Silverfrost growled, looking straight at Maplepaw with hard eyes. “Please, just stand at the foot of the outcrop.” Sunshadow nodded encouragingly at him, so Skypaw did as she said. Maplepaw’s presence above him radiated with barely restrained contempt. Skypaw kept his eyes on the ground, tense with expectation.  
  
“Now, go on ahead Maplepaw,” Silverfrost ordered. Skypaw still refused to look up to see what the move was, growing more and more apprehensive. Suddenly, a heavy weight landed on his back, claws embedding themselves in his shoulders. _His claws are unsheathed!_ Skypaw nearly yowled with the injustice of it. Instead, he rolled onto his back, hoping to unstick the other apprentice from him. But Maplepaw was older than him, and bigger too, so Skypaw’s weight did little to knock him off.  
  
“Now, Skypaw, what else can you do in a situation like this?” Sunshadow called from the side.  
  
The rocky outcrop rose in front of Skypaw. Instinct told him to use it, to slam Maplepaw against it, anything to survive in the fight. Claws in his back, the tunnel wall, the weight in his chest that made it hard to breathe, hard choices, a lifeless body-  
  
“Maplepaw, get off him!” Silverfrost barked out, concern in her voice. The noise jolted Skypaw out of the memory. He found himself on his side on the ground, head resting on his paw uncomfortably, as if he had fallen haphazardly. A ginger leg was before his eyes, blocking most of his view until it stepped back, revealing Maplepaw looking down at him, frustrated and quizzical.  
  
“What _was_ that?” Maplepaw sputtered, eyes wild with growing puzzlement. Skypaw flinched, sides heaving for breath.  
  
“I-I…” Skypaw didn’t know where to look, what to say. Exasperation mounted within him; he wanted to train and be a good warrior. Why couldn’t he just do that?  
  
“Skypaw…” Sunshadow bent down to look at him. His eyes searched Skypaw’s, wide with worry and confusion, but realization dawned within them. “Do you want to see Sweetrose?”  
  
Skypaw glanced at Maplepaw. The other apprentice’s edge seemed worn off, the harsh anger from before replaced by an undecipherable mix of emotions. Unease, worry… understanding? Skypaw had never seen the ginger tom look at him with anything but distaste; the way he was staring at him now was completely foreign. Bitterness clawed at Skypaw’s throat.  
  
“I’m fine,” Skypaw said coolly. He stood back up, grip firm enough on the soft pine needles to mask his trembling. No one took their eyes off him as he did so. Noticing this, the bitterness practically choked him. “I _said_ ,” he snarled, “I’m _fine_! Start over.”  
  
Maplepaw’s eyes flitted over to his mentor, who kept glancing between him and Sunshadow questioningly. The air around them grew awkward and uncertain. A desperate sort of rage filling him, Skypaw growled savagely and leapt towards Maplepaw with unsheathed claws. The larger apprentice managed to step back so that Skypaw’s claws only raked through the fur on his chest. He circled around Skypaw, green eyes flashing.  
  
“Skypaw,” Sunshadow called. “Training is over. I think you should rest in Sweetrose’s den.”  
  
Skypaw ignored his mentor. He circled in place so that his back was never to Maplepaw, wild exhilaration blooming in his chest. He feinted to the right before lunging to Maplepaw’s left, dragging his claws down his flank. Maplepaw yowled and bit down on the back of Skypaw’s neck, yanking on the extra skin there hard enough to lift him off his paws. Distantly, Skypaw could hear Silverfrost and Sunshadow yelling at them. He flailed as the teeth left his neck, sending him flying towards the rock outcrop. He slammed against it with a harsh thud, breath escaping him all at once. His head spun, memories of the dark tunnel threatening to swamp his senses once more.  
  
A paw stepped on his chest, the pressure of sheathed claws bringing him back to the present. Maplepaw stood over him, peering at him with a gaze curious with newfound respect.  
  
“Nice moves for a kit,” Maplepaw said, before retracting his paw. Skypaw blinked up at him, disoriented. _Maplepaw, giving_ me __a compliment?  
  
“Maplepaw, step _away_ from Skypaw!” Silverfrost commanded, voice icy with hidden panic. Sunshadow stepped between the two apprentices, forcing Maplepaw away.  
  
“Get up, Skypaw,” Sunshadow added over his shoulder.  
  
“You realize we need to inform Duskstar of this,” Silverfrost reprimanded them sharply as they separated. “Unsheathed claws, disobeying your mentors, StarClan, even just fighting your _clanmate_! What got _into_ you two?!”  
  
Maplepaw shrugged with a smirk, looking over to Skypaw over Silverfrost’s shoulder as though sharing a joke. “Gotta let loose those pent up emotions, y’know?” Skypaw’s head tilted slightly, and he smiled softly without meaning to. Maplepaw’s eyes glinted with satisfaction.  
  
“You-You call _that_ pent up emotions?!” Silverfrost shouted, tail bushing out. “You don’t __attack your clanmates to vent, for StarClan’s sake!”  
  
“Let’s get back to camp,” Sunshadow suggested, voice tight, eyeing Skypaw warily.  
  
“Sure,” Silverfrost ground out, turning around and stalking towards the trees. “But Maplepaw, you’ll check the elders for ticks for the rest of the week. I don’t want any more of these outbursts from you.”  
  
“And Skypaw, clean out their nests too. And any other den that needs it,” Sunshadow added before heading after Silverfrost. Skypaw rolled his eyes but followed anyway. He didn’t mind his punishment.  
  
Maplepaw fell in step alongside him as they stepped into the forest. He didn’t speak, but the air around them seemed lighter than before - not exactly friendly, but understanding. An olive branch had been extended.  
  


«——————»

  
  
“Duskstar told me what happened,” Sweetrose said. The quiet of her den surrounded them, overwhelming his senses overwhelmingly. He heard her fur rustle as her tail drifted along the floor, the soft breath as she prepared to speak once more. “Skypaw, you cannot turn on your own clanmates like that. No matter your turmoil.”  
  
“I know,” Skypaw said, the word _clanmate_ tugging at the back of his mind.  
  
“Do you?” Sweetrose asked sharply. “These sessions are meant for you to talk through your issues. So talk.”  
  
So he did. How he just wanted to be a normal apprentice and become the best warrior he could be, but it felt like everything stood in his way to prevent it. How he was sick of others treating him like he was weaker for it, how he _felt_ weaker for it.  
  
“You’re recovering,” she told him. “It’s to be expected that you won’t be fine right away.”  
  
“But…” Skypaw flexed his claws, looking away from her. “I need to train. I’ve already missed so much. How will I ever be the best warrior if I don’t learn?”  
  
“Why are you so desperate to be a good warrior?” Sweetrose prodded.  
  
Skypaw felt like his heart was crawling out of his throat. “I-I need to make up for it.”  
  
“It.” She nodded slowly, gaze distant as she thought. “You do realize that nobody is telling you that you need to atone. You did what you had to do, and you didn’t mean for him to die. You didn’t do anything wrong, so what’s making you push yourself like this?”  
  
He flinched as though her words were physical blows taking a shaky breath before answering. “Every night, I hear their voices. They blame me and they… punish me. Carry me into the air like I weigh nothing, suffocate me. What I deserve.” Silence met his words, prompting Skypaw to look up. Sweetrose stared at the ground, frowning.  
  
Finally, she spoke. “Can you describe to me everything that you remember from your nightmares?”  
  
“Uhm, s-sure?” Skypaw tilted his head. “It always starts with me on top of the hill, overlooking the territories. The clouds are dark and swirling above me-”  
  
“The clouds,” she murmured.  
  
“-and the wind is stronger than anything I’ve ever felt. It’s so loud and I can’t fight it, so I’m swept off my paws, and then I see that the clouds are swirling down towards HeatherClan and I’m being carried across the sky to it-”  
  
“The sky..?” Sweetrose hummed, eyes searching the ground in front of her.  
  
“The wind is so strong at this point that I can’t breathe, and then I black out.”  
  
“Interesting,” she muttered, before turning her gaze back towards him with a small shake of her head. “Why do you say that’s punishment?”  
  
“The wind is so loud-” Skypaw swallowed nervously- “that it sounds like all of StarClan is yowling at me. Or maybe it’s not the wind at all and it really is StarClan.”  
  
“No, no, I believe it is the wind,” Sweetrose told him absentmindedly. Quiet stretched out between them once more before she spoke up. “Say, do you remember the cave your sister and Sunshadow found you in?”  
  
_As if I could forget,_ Skypaw thought, images of his father’s ghost flitting through his mind. “Yes, why?”  
  
“Nobody has been able to find it since then.” Sweetrose’s pale green eyes glinted in the dark as she finally looked at him clearly. Skypaw’s pelt prickled as he sensed an awareness in them that he couldn’t understand. “Except for when you went back to fetch Redwhisker’s body. But even then, that was just the tunnel wasn’t it? Not the cave. Quite a curious situation if you ask me.”  
  
The session finished up shortly after, with plans for the next one set for the following week. Skypaw walked out of the alcove, feeling as unkempt and bemused as if he had just walked out of one of his dreams. Across the den, his sister sat besides Whitepool, the senior warrior still as unresponsive as ever. Bramblepaw’s head jerked up as Skypaw approached.  
  
“Oh, Sky, I’m so worried,” she blurted out in a hushed whisper.  
  
He tried not to let his alarm show. “Why, what happened?”  
  
“Whitepool’s only woken up twice since the battle. He’s been moving around a lot while you were in there, so I came to check on him, and he’s burning up!” Bramblepaw’s voice cracked in despair. “His leg is infected and now the fever - I don’t know what to do!”  
  
Skypaw didn’t know what to do. “Uhm, I’m sorry Bramblepaw, I’m no help here. Ask Sweetrose?”  
  
“Ask me what?” Sweetrose emerged from the alcove with a bundle of lavender in her mouth.  
  
“He’s gotten worse,” Bramblepaw told her mentor, voice quiet. Skypaw looked at her, worry gnawing at the edge of his mind.  
  
“Fever, you said?” Sweetrose bustled around the back, placing the lavender in the storage clefts. Bramblepaw frowned. “Well, what did you try then?”  
  
“Marigold on the wound, and I just gave him feverfew, but it has-”  
  
“Well, feverfew won’t stop a fever in a few minutes!” Sweetrose said cheerily, muffled in the corner. Her head was bent over the herbs, ears drooping slightly in a way that didn’t reflect her voice. “You’ve done what you can for now. It’s up to Whitepool to fight the rest of the way.”  
  
“B-but, what if…” Bramblepaw’s lip trembled hard enough to force her to pause. Skypaw wrapped his tail around her.  
  
“He dies?” Sweetrose turned towards her apprentice, eyes dark with severity. “Then he dies, and he’ll join his warrior ancestors in StarClan like the noble warrior he is.”  
  
“That’s… it’ll be _my_ fault, then,” Bramblepaw said. Skypaw pressed his sister close; he hated seeing a reflection of his own thoughts in her. __Poor Sweetrose has to deal with the both of us, he thought sardonically.  
  
“No, it won’t.” Sweetrose stepped towards them, head lowered to stare directly into Bramblepaw’s eyes. “Sometimes, there’s nothing you can do. Our job isn’t to make our clanmates immortal - there will be times when a cat’s fate is out of our paws. You’ve done your best and you can do no more.” She sighed deeply, averting her eyes for a moment. “All medicine cats must learn this lesson at some point.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fun fact: i tried to add a scene at the end of this chapter but it wound up being wayyyy too long, so it's now chapter 10! in fact, 10 is so far the longest chapter yet, so if i hadn't split them, chapter 9 would've been over twice as long as normal lmao


	12. Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which the herald has delivered

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> minor character death warning again

“And so I turned around to leave camp, and Flamefoot called after me, but I ignored him,” Shade-eye recalled, voice warm and gazing sightlessly in his mate’s direction.  
  
Maplepaw’s face was screwed up with disgust as he dabbed a clump of moss onto Raincloud’s back. The acrid stench of mouse bile drifted across the elder’s den all the way to where Skypaw stood, clawing at Flamefoot’s nest while the ginger elder sat with Shade-eye, who was telling a story to the apprentices to, “at least make their punishment enjoyable.” Skypaw could admit that he was succeeding, but Maplepaw’s misery seemed inexorable.  
  
“Why would you do that?” He spat, shuddering when a drop of mouse bile fell on him. Raincloud seemed oblivious to the apprentice’s plight, purring softly with her eyes closed.  
  
“Weren’t you listening?” She chastised. “He was angry at Flamefoot. Pay more attention! I love this story.”  
  
“Why?” He growled under his breath as Shade-eye continued.  
  
“So I was halfway down the rocks when Flamefoot landed in front of me!” Shade-eye purred. “He must have jumped all the from the top, and he didn’t stumble at all! He told me he was sorry for what he said, and then, with the setting sun lighting up his fur, he said, ‘I can’t lose you, Nightfire. I love you.’ I’ll never forget those words.”  
  
Skypaw finished rolling the nest into a ball hesitantly, not wanting to miss any more stories. He cursed himself for not bringing up the new moss before he began getting rid of the old.  
  
“Oh, that was so romantic!” Raincloud purred, a wistful look on her face. “I wish I could say the same for myself.”  
  
“Why, what happened to you?” Skypaw inquired, pushing Shade-eye’s old nest towards the clumps of Raincloud’s and Flamefoot’s. Maplepaw glanced at him and rolled his eyes. Skypaw ignored it; the older apprentice was back to his previous unfriendliness, but its biting edge had softened.  
  
Raincloud’s blue eyes darkened as she sighed. “Oh, nothing in particular. Just a tom who caught my eye, and then left me with two kits. But I don’t mind too much, I have my friends and I’m proud of my children.”  
  
“You had kits?” Maplepaw looked up incredulously as if the thought of Raincloud as a young queen was impossible to him.  
  
“Why, yes!” She looked at him with eyes gleaming with mirth. “Silverfrost and Thistletail! Two very strong and brave wa-”  
  
Maplepaw interrupted her with an indignant squawk. “Silverfrost has me getting rid of her mother’s ticks?!”  
  
Skypaw purred and ducked down the tunnel with the moss bundle in his mouth, trotting as quickly as he could as it bounced against his front legs, hoping that the elders would banter some more before starting another story. He quickly rounded the corner into the camp, making a beeline straight out of the cave. He hurried down the rocks, the moss swaying perilously in a way that threatened to trip him. He landed on unsteady paws at the foot of the hill and then bounded towards the forest, dropping the old moss by the nearest tree.  
  
_Okay… where did Sunshadow say to get the new moss?_ He padded through the trees, peering around trunks to try and find the spot. _Close to the training clearing, I think._ He followed the well-worn path through the sparse undergrowth towards the ring of bushes. He wandered in circles around the clearing, cursing the vague directions as he grew antsier to get back. The sun slipped across the sky until, finally, his eyes happened to land on a tree with a large clump of moss growing at its base. He quickly gathered as much as he could, hurrying enough to not think about the amount but still slow enough so his claws didn’t damage anything - with his luck he would be sent back out and miss even more stories if he went too roughly.  
  
Once his jaws were full, he turned tail and wove through the trees once more, following the trail he had come from. The ground under his paws grew bumpier as he approached the hill, and soon he was mourning the loss of the pine needles as he left the forest behind him. He made it up the rocks in record time, pulling himself into the cave with muscles aching from the rush.  
  
Skypaw stood at the entrance, pausing to let himself catch his breath before he looked up, focused on the elders’ den. More time had passed than he had wanted - he had surely missed a story or two. Instead, he was distracted by what was unfolding in the middle of the camp. His heart stuttered as his eyes rested on Whitepool’s limp body.  
  
The white warrior was arranged so that he laid on his stomach, legs tucked under him to hide the wound that had taken his life. His eyes were closed, head resting on the ground in front of him as though he were simply sleeping. Sweetrose stood in front of him so that her back was to Skypaw, herbs scattered around her in a semicircle. To the left of Sweetrose sat Kestrelwing, head bent towards her mate’s body, Maplepaw, Applepaw, and Snowpaw on either side of her. Applepaw’s eyes were clenched shut while Maplepaw sat, staring down absentmindedly. Snowpaw had her face buried in her father’s shoulder.  
  
Skypaw approached, moss forgotten at the mouth of the cave. His paws dragged against the floor, too shocked to register what exactly was going on. Before he was even halfway there, his sister rushed up to Sweetrose, a small bundle of lavender in her mouth. She placed it in the ring around her mentor. Eyes cast downwards and ears flat against her head, she turned away without a word. Gaze falling upon him, she stood frozen, ears perking up a bit before she scurried over to him.  
  
“What’s happening?” He asked, voice hushed. Her amber eyes welled with tears.  
  
“It’s all my fault, Sky,” Bramblepaw murmured, voice trembling with a hint of a whine. “I-I didn’t notice his infection early enough, or I didn’t treat it right, or - I don’t know! I just could’ve done _something_ more!” She collapsed to the ground, covering her face with her paws. “I don’t think I’m cut out for this.”  
  
Skypaw sat down next to her, running his tail over her back. “Remember what Sweetrose said earlier. It was out of your paws.” His head spun - he had been gone longer than he wanted, but surely not _too_ long, how did this happen?  
  
She took a deep breath, body shuddering with it, and stood back up. Her eyes were steeled with guarded sorrow. “We… we should go mourn. I need to help Sweetrose finish preparing his body.” She led Skypaw forward, her tail against his shoulder as if he needed a guide. Gingerly, she sat down next to Sweetrose, and he settled on her other side.  
  
Which wound up putting him in an awkward position, as it placed Applepaw and Maplepaw in front of him. With a pang of sorrow, Skypaw realized that they were too preoccupied with their grief to take a jab at him like they normally would.  
  
Sweetrose was muttering things under her breath, head bent over Whitepool’s face. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his sister had her eyes closed, mouthing along with her mentor. The words were too quiet to understand but were otherwise the only sound in the cave aside from the grass swishing in the breeze outside. As time went on, more and more cats gathered around in a circle, all with eyes lowered and heads bent solemnly.  
  
Duskstar stepped to the front, Mistfur following closely. The she-cat moved towards Sweetrose and grabbed a few leaves from the semicircle that smelled strongly of mint before she settled at Whitepool’s back, opposite the medicine cat. She placed the herbs down and cleared her throat.  
  
“The f-family members,” she began shakily, “shall now commence preparing their loved one for burial.”  
  
Duskstar skirted around the circle and left the cave quietly while Mistfur laid down beside Whitepool. Nobody questioned his disappearance, so Skypaw brushed it off and returned his attention to the ceremony. Bramblepaw stood and handed different types of herbs to each apprentice and finally lavender to Kestrelwing, which Skypaw only recognized due to his time in the medicine den, before she sat back down again.  
  
The family started sharing tongues with Whitepool, grooming his fur down in each area they had access to. With a shock, Skypaw remembered that Mistfur was his sister. His heart twisted with the revelation that he barely even knew the dead warrior.  
  
Once Whitepool’s fur shone, almost healthy enough as if he were still alive, they began rubbing their respective herbs on his body, leaving him smelling sharp and sweet. They let the leaves and sprigs rest in his hidden crevices - behind his elbow, under his curled tail, between his paws - before they retreated back to his flank. Snowpaw shoved her face into her father’s fur once more, shoulders shaking.  
  
“CloudClan may now speak, and cherish Whitepool’s life as it was.” Voice unwavering with practiced clarity, Sweetrose lifted her head to address the Clan before her. Her green eyes were dark, the light of the sun creeping lower in the sky rendering her a silhouette. “The family, if they choose to, shall go first.”  
  
Kestrelwing immediately straightened up, her blue eyes glistening. “Whitepool is… _was_ the best cat I have ever had th-the privilege of knowing.” She swallowed hard, adding, “Of loving.” She choked back a sob before continuing on, voice thick. “I always imagined that we would move to the elders’ den at some point. That our time together would end there, and we’d only be apart for a short moment, really, before the other followed. I never… I never imagined this. And I guess that’s silly, considering our way of life.” She finished abruptly, hunched over as if all the energy had drained out of her. The rest of the Clan was quiet around her.  
  
“M-My brother,” Mistfur said hesitantly, “was a loyal and valuable warrior until the end - no, a kind and reliable _cat_ until the end. I can only be glad that I know he’s looking down at us now, from StarClan.” Her green eyes hardened suddenly, and she made to speak once more, but she clamped her jaw shut and shook her head violently. Her turn was up.  
  
When none of the apprentices indicated the desire to talk, Sweetrose announced that the rest of the Clan could say their piece now. Several voices rose from the crowd - “He died a noble death,” one said; “He fought until the very end,” another commented; “We will honor his memory,” the last one promised.  
  
With each new cat wishing Whitepool off, Snowpaw sunk further into her father’s fur. Maplepaw flinched at every word. Applepaw lashed her tail, growing more agitated. Skypaw didn’t know Whitepool well - not at all, really - nor did he particularly care for the warrior’s kits. Although, with a glance at Snowpaw, that may not be true. _I should- I should say something,_ he thought dazedly. He didn’t know what to say.  
  
“I-I’m sorry.” In the quiet of the cave, his voice rang loud enough for the entire Clan to hear. Skypaw took a shaky breath. “For your loss.” He didn’t know which of the five grieving cats he was speaking to - well, the whole Clan was grieving, really - but he found that his eyes automatically landed on Maplepaw. Maybe it was because of the odd understanding they had come to during yesterday’s training session. Maybe it was simply because the apprentice was the one who sat directly in front of him, and it was easiest to keep his gaze straight ahead.  
  
“Oh, shut up!” Applepaw snapped, jumping to her paws from Maplepaw’s side and glaring daggers at him. “You don’t get to say that! You don’t get to pretend you care when you didn’t even _know_ him!”

Skypaw leaned back as if he was expecting her to lunge across her father’s dead body just for the chance to smite him. He took comfort in Bramblepaw’s warm flank against his side as he spluttered, words escaping him. At the edge of his vision was Snowpaw, not moving at all. She wouldn’t defend him from her sister’s ire this time.  
  
“Your own clanmate!” Applepaw sneered. “Imagine that, everybody! Imagine not even caring that one of your own _died_. Died to protect the Clan, died for all our wellbeings!” Her voice broke at the end, tears threatening to spill, but her eyes still blazed with anger and devastation. Skypaw didn’t dare defend himself.  
  
“Applepaw, stop,” Maplepaw said quietly, not looking up from Whitepool’s body. Applepaw whirled around to face her brother, her face screwing up with rage. Skypaw felt just as shocked.  
  
“Absolutely not!” She hissed. Her tail lashed behind her.  
  
“Skypaw’s our clanmate too,” Maplepaw replied simply. Applepaw froze before she crumpled to the ground, a sob tearing through her as she hid her face in his neck. His gaze still didn’t move from the body.  
  
Sweetrose stared at Skypaw from her position at the front, eyes burning with intensity, but she didn’t speak a word. Bramblepaw shifted at his side but also remained silent.  
  
“I uh, think you should maybe step away,” a voice whispered behind him. He turned to see Cedarsong, who was looking at him questioningly. The deputy wrapped her tail around his shoulders and pulled him away from the inner circle and through the crowd. The other cats all stared at him with a similar question in their eyes, but nobody made a sound, which Skypaw was grateful for.  
  
Cedarsong sat him down at the very back as Sweetrose’s voice rose once more. “Let us come together in one last celebration of Whitepool’s life so that he may find his way to StarClan.” She was impossible to see, as the setting sun blinded him whenever he tried to peer around the cats in front of him.  
  
Her next words were drowned out as the entire Clan recited along with her. Somehow within him, he knew the words and joined in. One solemn voice, thundering through the cave. “We give our blessings to this noble spirit so that StarClan may receive him in all his strengths and all his weaknesses. May he find eternal rest above the clouds.”  
  
“The family will now sit vigil,” Sweetrose announced. “Anyone else who wishes to join may do so.”  
  
The Clan began milling around, returning noise to the cave once more, albeit a bit subdued. Cedarsong shot a glance at Skypaw before she bounded away, heading to the cave exit, where the silhouette of a cat entering was vaguely visible. Skypaw squinted, unable to see against the red light, so he followed after the deputy. As he approached, the figure cleared enough to reveal that it was Duskstar.  
  
Duskstar and Cedarsong had their heads bent together, talking quietly. Skypaw spotted the ball of moss caught next to a rock at the cave edge and groaned; he had never remade the elders’ nests! He trotted over to fetch it once more, drawing nearer to his father without meaning to.  
  
“-tail and Eagleclaw guard the cave tomorrow.” Skypaw winced, not meaning to overhear. But the moss needed to be distributed, no matter what awkward situations it may put him through. And unfortunately, his approach had caught his father’s attention.  
  
“Ah, Skypaw,” Duskstar greeted, voice worn thin. “How did the ceremony go?”  
  
“Uhm.” Skypaw didn’t know how to respond. “Good, I guess?” As good as a ceremony for a warrior’s death could be, he supposed.  
  
“Good, good,” his father answered distractedly, turning back to Cedarsong. His legs were covered in dirt, covering his tabby markings enough to make him seem plain brown. Skypaw frowned.  
  
“Why are you dirty?” He asked before he could help it. Regret filled him as soon as it was out - he really wanted to be done with this conversation so he could finish up with the elders.  
  
“I was out digging the grave,” Duskstar told him, looking back at him once more. “It’s the leader’s job.”  
  
Skypaw nodded and hurriedly grabbed the moss before heading towards the elders’ tunnel. Duskstar had turned to Cedarsong again once he answered, so leaving was easy enough. As quickly as he could, he remade the nests, just in time for the three elders to enter the den.  
  
“Ah, Skypaw, right on time!” Flamefoot commented, stopping at the end of the tunnel and admiring the apprentice’s work.  
  
Skypaw flattened his ears. “Sorry it took so long.”  
  
“Not your fault,” Raincloud told him, coming around Flamefoot’s side to enter as well. “Unforeseen circumstances.” Her eyes glinted sadly in the last few rays of sunlight reaching down the tunnel.  
  


«——————»

  
When Skypaw dreamed that night, he swore he heard Whitepool’s voice added to the choirs of StarClan, one more soul throwing accusations at him as he was flailed about. This time, as he tumbled through thin air, his shoulder was wrenched out of its socket. The pain was the worst he had ever experienced, and with a jolt, it woke him up, Whitepool’s angry wails echoing in his ears.

  
The silence was crushing compared to the clamor of his dream. He was all alone in the apprentices’ den; the others must still be outside, sitting vigil. Skypaw swore under his breath before stumbling down the tunnel, bursting into the cave with a desperate need to be around others.  
  
Whitepool’s body remained where it had been the night before, with Kestrelwing, Mistfur, and the three apprentices resting next to him. Sweetrose was once again stationed in front of his head. The camp was empty except for them, but Skypaw could spot other cats emerging from various tunnels just as he stepped out. Not a word was spoken. It was so quiet that the distant swaying of the tall grass outside the cave was audible.  
  
The warriors who had left their tunnel as Skypaw left his own began to congregate around Whitepool in the same set up as the day before. Skypaw took their lead and joined them, unsure of what else could happen. More and more cats trickled into the center of the cave as time went on.  
  
Once it seemed like the whole Clan was there, Sweetrose lifted her head. “The vigil is now over,” she announced. Maplepaw and Applepaw rose to their paws, looking exhausted. After some hesitation, Snowpaw followed them, but Kestrelwing didn’t move until Maplepaw nudged her up. Her eyes stared blankly. Mistfur moved towards her, leaning against her to provide the widowed queen support.  
  
Without a signal, the crowd parted to allow Raincloud, Flamefoot, and Shade-eye to pass through in a single-file line. The family stepped back as the elders surrounded Whitepool, Raincloud at his shoulders, Flamefoot at his stomach, and Shade-eye at his legs. Together, they moved the warrior onto their backs, the shuffling awfully loud in the soundless cave. Skypaw stood watching with the rest of the Clan, chest clenching more and more with each passing second.  
  
With Whitepool fixed securely, the elders began inching forward, the Clan moving behind them to follow, yet Eagleclaw and Thistletail remained against the wall, hidden in the shadows. The family walked at the front of the crowd, with Sweetrose, Duskstar, and Cedarsong trailing after them. Skypaw went along with the Clan’s movement, trickling down the rocks outside the camp as one unit. He kept his head down, not wanting to watch the elders struggle to keep Whitepool steady during the descent. He only looked up when he spotted his sister’s familiar tortoiseshell paw step next to him.  
  
Bramblepaw had her eyes lowered similarly, but she glanced up when she saw Skypaw watching her. He opened his mouth to speak, but she shook her head quickly. He closed it as she cast her gaze to the ground once more. The silence was overwhelming.  
  
The Clan finally made its way off the rocks, making travel quicker. They skirted around the forest, much to Skypaw’s disappointment. _It’s for the best,_ he thought. _The trees would only slow us down even more.  
  
_ As they drifted past the trees, the field behind the hill opened up. The tall grass danced in the wind, oddly warm for the season. The pale blue early morning sky felt too cheery for the occasion, but trying to think of more somber weather brought Skypaw’s dreams to mind. The soft whisper of the breeze in his ears sent an eerie chill at the thought.  
  
Bramblepaw nudged him, bringing his attention back to the present. He looked at her in confusion, not understanding when she couldn’t speak. She nodded to the cats in front of them, who were splitting off the main ground and heading into the tall grass, some emerging with flowers and vibrant, newly fallen leaves. She took off to the right, looking back at Skypaw and waving her tail to follow her.  
  
He complied, stepping through the trail she had made through the grass. Once they were far away enough from the main group, he tried to speak again. “Why-”  
  
Bramblepaw whipped her head around to shoot him a firm glare, smacking her tail against his jaw to prevent any more words from coming out. She shook her head like she did last time he tried to talk. Frustration welled up inside him, but he nodded after some hesitation.  
  
She nodded back and turned forward once more, padding through the grass until they came upon a bush with long sprigs of small, pale blue flowers. Bramblepaw bit off a few by their stems before passing the clump over to Skypaw. She took some more for herself before taking off back into the grass towards the direction they came.  
  
They were among the last few to return to the main group. Skypaw breathed out a sigh relief around the flower bundle. The Clan was now at the base of the hill on the opposite side of the cave, where a patch of grass was shorter than the surrounding field. In the middle of the patch was a wide hole, a pile of dirt next to it. Skypaw’s heart stuttered as he realized that it was the grave dug the night before.  
  
The Clan filled out into a wide semi-circle around the elders as they set Whitepool’s body down into the grave. Once he was resting in the most comfortable position possible, the elders stepped back and merged back into the Clan ranks. All but the swaying grass was still for several moments.  
  
Kestrelwing was the first to make a move. She held a poppy flower in her mouth, the red petals startlingly bright against her ginger fur, dulled and limp as though she couldn’t be bothered to groom it. She touched her nose to Whitepool’s for the last time, hesitating to drop the flower onto him before retreating. She reached out and drew a pawful of dirt over her mate’s stomach.  
  
Mistfur brought clovers. Maplepaw brought a mouthful of red leaves that must’ve blown over from SageClan. Applepaw brought dandelions and Snowpaw brought daisies. Each parted with Whitepool with a few whispered words, inaudible to anyone else, one last goodbye in private between a brother and sister, father and child. Each left with one more clump of dirt strewn into the hole.  
  
Gradually, the rest of the Clan began stepping forward with their own offerings and messages. The hole was filled more and more until Whitepool’s chest was no longer visible. Skypaw watched without seeing, jaw growing stiff as time went on with no reprieve from holding the flowers. His ear twitched, the breeze tickling his fur.  
  
Bramblepaw nudged his shoulder with her own from where she was sitting next to him, breaking him out of his reverie. He jumped, startled, before refocusing on the ceremony. With a sinking feeling, he realized he was one of the last few to go up. _Remind me to thank her later,_ he thought to himself.  
  
Aspenleaf was just making her way back to the main group when Skypaw came to. He stared at the clear path that parted the Clan down the middle, where she was walking through. Duskstar, Cedarsong, Bramblepaw, and Sweetrose had yet to go either, he recalled with eyes narrowed in thought. Only to jump a bit once more as Sweetrose turned around from her spot up front, staring at him with piercing green eyes. He could almost hear her stern voice in his mind, demanding that he get over his fear.  
  
So he stood up and slipped around his Clanmates until he reached the center path. His pelt prickled in the silence. He gulped around the flowers in his mouth, a bitter taste landing on his tongue. Applepaw’s accusations from the night before pounded in his ears as he stepped closer to Whitepool’s grave. He felt the eyes of the Clan on him, but Applepaw’s carried the heaviest weight of them all.  
  
“ _Your own Clanmate!_ ”  
  
He finally passed by the first row of cats, glancing at Sweetrose from the corner of his eye. She stared back steadily until he turned his eyes forwards again.  
  
“ _Died to protect the Clan -_ ”  
  
Whitepool’s body was entirely covered in dirt now, all but his face. His eyes were shut in serenity, cheeks framed with various flowers and leaves, twigs and grasses.  
  
“- died for all our wellbeings!”  
  
Skypaw stopped at the edge of the hole, searching Whitepool’s face for… something. Was it suffering? Anger? Accusation?  
  
He saw nothing.  
  
He bent his head down to place the flowers above the warrior’s forehead.  
  
“I-I’m sorry,” Skypaw whispered, fighting to keep his voice from breaking loudly. “I wish I got to know you better. I hope St-StarClan treats you well.” His heart froze at the mention of StarClan, mind flashing back to his nightmare, but he shook his head, forcing it away. “Goodbye.”  
  
He straightened back up and stepped away. Without much thought, he grabbed a pawful of dirt and packed it over the flowers he had just placed, wanting to keep the warrior’s face uncovered for as long as possible.  
  
Retreating back to his place in the Clan’s ranks was a much easier process. His paws felt lighter, as though a weight had been lifted off him. He settled back down next to Bramblepaw, eyeing her just as she was eyeing him.  
  
Soon enough, Cedarsong went, and then Duskstar, who drew the last piece of dirt back into the hole, covering Whitepool’s face completely. The Clan shuffled forward until the semicircle turned into a whole circle, pressing close towards the raised earth of the grave. Even the breeze stopped as Bramblepaw made her way to the front, leaving the air unnaturally still and silent.  
  
“White, for his pelt,” Sweetrose spoke, and Bramblepaw began drawing her paw through the dirt. Skypaw watched as her claw made a circle with a dot in the middle. Once she was done, Sweetrose continued. “Pool, for the depth of his personality -” Bramblepaw drew an oval next to the first symbol.  
  
“May StarClan honor his loyalty and strength.” All the voices of the Clan intoned at once, strangely loud in the uncanny silence before. With surprise he barely registered, Skypaw realized he had spoken with them.  
  
“The mourning period has ended,” Sweetrose finished. A solemn air of finality settled around the Clan, but it was accompanied by a sense of relief, freed from grief. The atmosphere lightened as everyone began heading back towards the camp, some warriors breaking off to hunt or patrol, quiet conversations springing up here and there. But, watching Snowpaw’s disconsolate face from across the crowd, Skypaw couldn’t join in.  
  
The breeze returned, bringing with it memories of violent gales and divine judgment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heed that "StarClan is more a religion" tag lmao  
> so these clans differ from the canon clans when it comes to funerals. the main reason is that the spirit of a dead cat is more of a spirit - they're not guaranteed to go to StarClan, nor are they guaranteed to move on right away. to discourage nosy spirits from lingering where they're not supposed to, the funeral is meant to show that yes they were cherished, yes your clan loves you, but they will not grieve. grieving could make the spirit stay behind out of guilt, compassion, whatever, so the funeral is like the one instance where everyone is allowed to mourn in public. at the very end, the medicine cat announces that the mourning period is over - there is nothing left for the spirit here anymore. those still alive will of course still grieve, but they'll do so in private just in case the spirit still happens to be around
> 
> the medicine cats aren't allowed to speak during the ceremony unless they're leading the others through it or praying for the spirit's safe journey to StarClan. there are times when the rest of the clan can't speak either
> 
> ghosts are very much possible, but they're to be avoided at all costs, for the spirit's sake and for everyone left behind, so all precautions are taken to get them to move on as early as possible. the only ghosts really seen are the lost lives of leaders until they lose their ninth life and are allowed to move on
> 
> if you have any questions please ask! i'll try to answer without spoiling


	13. Chapter Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which the storm is brewing

The vole sat at the bottom of the pine tree, nibbling away at a piece of bark. Skypaw watched it through narrowed eyes, balancing his weight back in his haunches. Whiskers trembling, the vole suddenly stopped chewing, raising its head up to look around. Sensing his chance was slipping away, Skypaw sprang forward, landing squarely on its back. He nipped its neck, killing it before it knew what happened.  
  
“Nice catch!” Sunshadow called out from behind him.  
  
Skypaw turned around, smiling at him widely. “Thanks!” He purred before picking it up. He began padding through the sparse undergrowth, catching up with his mentor so that they could make their way back to camp. Along the way, he retrieved the prey that he had caught earlier, a squirrel and a mouse, from where he had hidden them nearby.  
  
A moon had passed since the battle with HeatherClan. Leaf-fall was in full swing, fiery leaves blowing across the river from SageClan in droves. Things had slipped back into normalcy, as Skypaw was finally able to carry out his apprenticeship in the typical fashion without the impending battle looming over his head. His sessions with Sweetrose had grown less frequent, his guilt less overwhelming but never entirely disappearing. His nightmares were certainly still something to worry about - they had expected the dreams to vanish with his guilt, but instead they only grew stronger and more drawn-out, soon plaguing him every night rather than a few times a week.  
  
Nevertheless, life was alright, Skypaw supposed. He was gaining confidence in his skills, both in battle and hunting (though he had yet to step foot in the tunnels again ever since the incident). Sunshadow still loomed over him, but not as much as he used to when he was first apprenticed. He was growing stronger and faster, able to keep up better with the older warriors.  
  
In his reminiscing, Skypaw didn’t notice how far they’d traveled until they came upon the rocks at the base of the hill once more. Prey swinging from his jaws, he followed Sunshadow up the slope. The climb was easier on his legs now that he had been training for a whole moon. Yet, the weight of the prey made his legs ache anyway by the time he slipped through the mouth of the cave. He placed the three pieces of fresh-kill on the pile in the middle of the camp.  
  
"Are we done for the day?" He asked Sunshadow.  
  
"Yes. Don't forget about the Gathering tonight!" His mentor reminded him after depositing his own fresh-kill.  
  
"I didn't, don't worry!" Skypaw smiled.  
  
Only when Sunshadow padded off did Skypaw notice the strange air of tense anticipation in the camp. There were a few cats sitting about in the cave, but instead of normally sharing tongues and conversing they were all glancing at the medicine den or staring at the ground. Thistletail was even pacing against the back walls. Usually, the senior warrior was too intimidating to talk to, but his nervous energy made him seem the most likely to know what was going on. Skypaw slunk towards him, making sure to move slowly so as to not spook him and incur his wrath.  
  
"Hey, Thistletail?" Skypaw called. "What's going on?"  
  
The warrior startled at the sound of his voice but was quick to flatten his fur down once more. "Is it really any of your business?" He glared at Skypaw but it seemed to be lacking its usual bite."Well, the whole Clan seems torn up about it," he pointed out. "So I don't see why it's not."  
  
Thistletail sighed before beginning to pace again. "Roseheart is kitting."  
  
Skypaw's eyes widened. "Already?"  
  
"Yes, I know!" Thistletail snarled, lashing his tail. "Much too soon! It started shortly after dawn."  
  
"That long ago?"  
  
"I don't need you to remind me!" Thistletail swung his head to growl at Skypaw, making him flinch back. "It's not going well at all. Oh, my daughter, I know you can make it through this..." The warrior began pacing with new fervor.  
  
Skypaw backed away to give the warrior room to fret. Yet - he didn't know what else to do. He couldn't just go and sleep in the apprentices' den, nor could he sit around and idly chat. His pelt prickled with the itch to do _something_.  
  
His paws took him to the medicine den, but he blanched at the faint sound of Bramblepaw's anxious encouragement coming from beyond the familiar vines. He couldn't just _walk in_ while a queen was kitting!  
  
He settled on calling from the outside. "I-Is there anything I can do? Like, get some nice moss or water, or something?"  
  
A little bit of shuffling and quiet moans later led to Sweetrose's tired face peeking through the vines. "Not you, no. Get someone else to fetch water." She disappeared behind the vines.  
  
"Why not me?" Skypaw questioned indignantly.  
  
Her face returned with a long-suffering sigh. "Aren't you going to the Gathering? You need to rest. You're overworking yourself, just take a break this once. Now, I need to get back to work, Skypaw!" Then she was gone.  
  
Skypaw growled and lashed his tail. "That doesn't make sense! Why am I going to waste time finding someone else to get it when I could just go get it myself?"  
  
He turned around with an indignant huff and bounded back out of the cave, ignoring the ache in his muscles from climbing the hill just a short while earlier. His eyes were narrowed against the wind whipping past him as he moved, frustration welling inside him. He would not sit idly by and do nothing! He needed to be useful and help his Clanmates, a few aches be damned.  
  
_Just to spite her, I'll go and get both water_ and _some nesting material_ , he thought smugly. He hurried down the rocks, refusing to acknowledge the way his claws slipped a bit each time he leaped off one. The stream that now served as the border with HeatherClan was, unfortunately, closer than the one bordering SageClan. And time was, unfortunately, at the essence, so he shot off to head north.  
  
The stream was in sight within a couple of minutes. He slowed to a stop, making sure to grab a clump of rough moss used for transporting water off the side of a nearby pine tree along the bank.  
  
Skypaw walked up to the stream, making sure to keep his paws planted firmly on the ground as he bent down to dip the moss into the water. StarClan knew he didn't want to repeat any of his past splashes, especially now that the other side was hostile territory.  
  
"Hey look, it's that awkward little 'paw from the last Gathering!" A familiar voice sneered, all too close.  
  
Skypaw's head shot up only to see Cherrypaw's angry glare approximately four fox-lengths away. His heart stuttered at the sight.  
  
"Skypaw, was it?" She asked, batting her eyelashes cheekily.  
  
"U-Uhm, sure, yeah, that's my name!" Skypaw spluttered around the scratchy moss in his mouth.  
  
"Oh good, I'm glad!" Cherrypaw smiled. Skypaw almost believed it was genuine until it suddenly turned viciously sour. "Glad to know the name of my father's murderer!"  
  
Skypaw dropped the moss into the stream. "Uh-m, wh-what? Redwh-isker was y-your - _father_?"  
  
"Yes, and Blackpaw's and Petalpaw's too! Oh, and don't forget poor Vixenkit! I see you didn't think about who he was leaving behind when you killed him. What a shame." Cherrypaw grinned and leaned forward, much too close for comfort.  
  
"Cherrypaw, stop," a calico she-cat emerged from over the bank. "You're better than this. Take the high road." The warrior sent Skypaw a glare and wrapped her tail around the apprentice's shoulders.  
  
"Why should I, when he gets to go free?" Cherrypaw's look turned downright murderous. Skypaw cursed the fact that the stream was so narrow.  
  
"It's not what he would've wanted," the older she-cat said simply. Cherrypaw stiffened and turned around to face her without a word, leaning against her as if all the fight had left her. The two walked away, but not before the warrior cast him one more glare, a threat clear in her eyes.  
  
“See you at the Gathering, mangepelt,” Cherrypaw muttered under her breath, not looking at him.  
  
Skypaw gulped and backed away. He was quick to head back to the safety of the trees; he didn't trust that the two HeatherClan cats wouldn't go fetch a patrol and seek their vengeance against him. _Maybe I can fetch the water after I find something soft for Roseheart's nest_ , he thought uneasily.  
  
He knew of a patch of dropseed at the top of the hill that was used for special occasions and was close enough to be easy to gather. Thus, he found himself heading back to the cave, the wind teasing the ends of his fur as it weaved between the trees. His mind kept repeating Cherrypaw's accusations and threats over and over again as he walked mindlessly.  
  
"I was defending my Clan," he murmured, repeating Sweetrose's words. "I made the right choice. It was my only choice."  
  
Soon enough, Skypaw was back at the hill. He made sure to skirt around it, not wanting anybody to see him through the cave opening and call him back, until he was at the far side, where the slope was more gentle and there were no boulders. He kept his head bent to the level of his shoulders to avoid the wind as it grew stronger and stronger with altitude.  
  
By the time he reached the top, the air had turned chilly and the wind was so strong he could barely cling to the ground, roaring in his ears so loud he feared he would go deaf. _What's going on?_ He thought frantically. He managed to inch forward, creeping close to the ground with unsheathed claws digging into the earth. Determination filled him, pushing him forward despite the mounting danger and oddity of the situation. He needed to do something right! First the water, now the dropseed, he was such a f-  
  
He finally crested the hill and was immediately met with a wall of gray that picked him up and threw him into the air within a split second. All the air was sucked out of his lungs. He couldn't even yowl, nor could he tell what was up or down. Nausea rose up his stomach and into his throat.  
  
And suddenly, the wall flung Skypaw away, leaving him in open, calm air. The ground rose up underneath him, the hill where he had grown up reaching up to him like the sky that had snatched him just moments before. It was too great a distance, he was falling too fast - _he would die on impact_. He didn't have a sense of mind, too disoriented to even have his life flash before his eyes. Everything went black.  
  
...  
  
  
"Skypaw!"  
  
Skypaw's eyes flew open as he was violently shaken awake. He immediately sat up and wretched, a violent sort of sick between the coughing and gasping for breath. The world around him hadn’t stopped spinning.  
  
“Skypaw, dear StarClan, what’s wrong?” A dark blur bent down in front of him. He peered up at it before another wheezing fit made him close his eyes again. His chest felt hollow.  
  
“Skypaw, my little Sky, listen, it’s me, Darkbreeze!”  
  
He cracked his eyes open once more as the blur stuck itself closer to his face, enough that he could make out the details of black fur and blue eyes. Relief loosened his stiff muscles that had been clenched tightly in fear. He melted to the ground, trembling all over. It was his mother.  
  
She sat next to him, grooming his fur down until he had calmed down for the most part. Once he had his breath back, he tried to speak.  
  
“I-I need to see Sweetrose,” he croaked. “To tell her s-something important-t.”  
  
“What happened, Sky?” She asked, blue eyes large and imploring. He shook his head.  
  
“I do-on’t know if I c-can tell you.”  
  
Something in her eyes showed her heartbreak. With a sigh, she stood and grabbed him by the back of his neck. He went limp and let her carry him - it felt nice to be treated like a kit again, after that. She seemed to be struggling to keep him lifted high enough with how much he grew, but her eyes were narrowed with steely focus and her pawsteps were steady. Nothing would stop her once she set her mind to something.  
  
She let him down just as they were about to pass around the curve leading into the camp. He stood on his own shaky legs in the shadow of the hill as the sun was sinking below the horizon. Exasperation welled in him as he realized he didn't get anything he wanted to for Roseheart.  
  
With Darkbreeze's help, he picked his way across the short stretch of rocks until the shadows completely engulfed him within the cave. The camp was bustling with activity as preparations for the Gathering were underway. Skypaw watched with a distant mind.  
  
"I'll take you to Sweetrose then, yeah?" Darkbreeze murmured in his ear. He nodded slightly in response.  
  
He followed her lead as her flank pressed him towards the medicine den. She parted the vines for him once they reached the tunnel that Skypaw spent way too much time in.  
  
"Sweetrose!" His mother called. "Something happened with Skypaw."  
  
Sweetrose was lying beside an unconscious Roseheart, two kits by the queen's belly. All three were awfully still, but the slight movement of their chests indicated that they were only sleeping. Skypaw sighed quietly in relief.  
  
"What kind of something?" Sweetrose inquired, voice flat with fatigue.  
  
"I found him on the hillside. He had collapsed and was convulsing on his side." Darkbreeze's pelt bristled in agitation next to him. Skypaw hated that he made her worry.  
  
Sweetrose was silent for a long moment, before carefully answering. "It was simple exhaustion. It must have caught up with him."  
  
"Wh-? What do you mean?"  
  
"He's been overworking himself. I told him to rest, but evidently, he didn't listen." Sweetrose shot him a pointed look. Skypaw had the decency to flatten his ears in shame.  
  
Darkbreeze whirled around to look at him. "Sky, you can't just disregard medical advice!" She admonished. "Look where it got you!"  
  
"Yes, yes, I'm sure he's learned his lesson," Sweetrose soothed her. "I'm forbidding him from going to the Gathering. He needs to get a full night's sleep. Now, I need to speak with him in private."  
  
Darkbreeze looked at the medicine cat in surprise. "Oh? Oh! Alright, I'll leave you to it." She sent one last confused, worried look at Skypaw before she left the den.  
  
The den was silent for the next few moments as Sweetrose seemed to be collecting herself. Skypaw shuffled his paws. Unable to stand it anymore, he asked, "How did the kitting go?"  
  
Sweetrose sighed deeply. "Horrible. But I guess it could've been worse."  
  
Skypaw observed the two kits sleeping beside their mother. The larger one was a golden she-cat, while the smaller was a pale brown tom. "What are their names?"  
  
"The tom is Hazelkit and the she-cat is Lionkit," Sweetrose reported quietly. "They're very weak."  
  
"O-Oh."  
  
"It's to be expected," Sweetrose sighed. "They were born too early. Roseheart had been injured during the battle last moon. She's been suffering from pains all this time because of it. Birth complications were inevitable." She tapped the ground expectantly with a paw. "Now, enough avoiding the topic at hand. What happened to you?"  
  
"I don't know entirely." Skypaw let out a shuddering sigh. "I think it was some sort of... vision?"  
  
Sweetrose hummed thoughtfully. "What was it?"  
  
"It was like all my dreams." He bent his head. "But so much worse."  
  
Her eyes flickered with alarm, but it was quickly stamped out. "Go on," she urged.  
  
"One minute I was looking for dropseed on a really windy day, and the next I was in the air." He shook his head slightly at the memory. "I couldn't see anything. I hurt all over. I only woke up because I wound up falling back to the ground. I think I... died?"  
  
Sweetrose sat up, this time unable to hide her concern. "And it was such a strong vision that it managed to knock you off your feet… convulsing, she said..." Skypaw watched as she stared at the ground intently, deep in thought for a long moment.  
  
Suddenly her head snapped back up to meet his gaze. "Regardless, you are still forbidden from going to the Gathering. You really do need to rest."  
  
"What?!" Skypaw shot to his paws. "That's unfair!"  
  
Sweetrose narrowed her eyes at him, accusations clear. "Why do you feel the need to work till you literally collapse? Why did you go outside to get dropseed when I told you to rest?"  
  
"Because," he growled, "I don't want to be useless when my Clan needs me."  
  
Her gaze softened. "You're not useless, Skypaw. Do you think the elders are useless because they no longer hunt or fight?"  
  
He flinched. "Of cour-"  
  
"-se not," she finished with him. "Then why do you think you are?"  
  
_‘Because I broke the warrior code,’_ was getting old. They had discussed it numerous times. They had made progress. But he still felt it was true, deep down.  
  
He didn't respond.  
  
She sighed. "Don't think I'll forget about this. We'll talk about it at your next session." She fixed her eyes on him firmly. "I'm serious about you not going tonight. Go to sleep, Skypaw. You deserve to rest like any other cat."  
  
What little energy he had left flooded out of him. He nodded numbly and turned tail to leave the den.  
  
The walk over to the apprentices' den had never seemed so long before. The sun was already well on its way down the horizon, leaving the cave in its red shadow. Maplepaw, Snowpaw, and Applepaw were standing outside the apprentices' tunnel, chatting excitedly. He approached warily, hoping to slip inside without attracting their attention.  
  
"Hey, furball," Maplepaw called. "You going to the Gathering too?"  
  
Skypaw sighed at the interruption. At least Maplepaw and Applepaw no longer picked on him as much anymore. He lifted his head and perked his ears up, hoping to dispel any outward appearance of his bad mood.  
  
"No, not this time!" He answered cheerily. "Tell me how it goes, alright?"  
  
"Oh, well I heard Bramblepaw will be staying too, so good thing you won't be alone at least," Snowpaw said, blinking sympathetically.  
  
"Sure." Skypaw shrugged. "If you don't mind-"  
  
"Oh, sure!" She giggled, stepping aside so she wasn't blocking the den tunnel any longer. "Sorry about that."  
  
"It's fine." He smiled. "You guys have fun!" He slunk into the tunnel while the other apprentices called after him to sleep well. _That's probably the most positive experience I've ever had with all three of them at once,_ he thought, letting his ears drop once he was out of sight.  
  
He was quick to settle in his nest, but no matter how tired he was, sleep wouldn't come. The darkness of the den provided no satisfaction, and the loudness of the camp as the patrol mingled just outside the tunnel only made him antsy. The thought of not going filled him with frustration and... anxiety? He lifted his head from where it was resting on his front paws.  
  
He needed to know what happened tonight. Second-hand accounts would do no good.  
  
Skypaw stood and sat by the den entrance, making sure to hang behind the corner so that nobody could see him lurking in the shadows, obviously not sleeping. He heard the muffled sound of his father yelling out names to ensure that everybody was there. He lashed his tail when his name was called, only to hear an odd hesitation until the next name. Surely that was Sweetrose informing Duskstar of the "situation."  
  
When the Gathering patrol left, the camp was silent and the sky was a dark blue. Skypaw waited a few minutes before emerging into the dark camp, determination pushing him forward. He stepped along the walls of the cave, using the darkness there to mask his movement. He reached the mouth of the cave with no problem.  
  
The moon was high in the sky and incredibly bright. Jumping down onto the boulders below, Skypaw sighed and hoped it didn't light up his pale coat too noticeably. Perhaps traveling through the forest would be best; the branches overhead would probably be sufficient enough to block the light. He veered left once his paws touch flat ground below the hill, moving quickly to stay out of sight. The scent of his Clan went straight to skirt around the forest, where they could move the fastest over the unobstructed ground.  
  
He wove between the tree trunks as fast as he dared in the darkness, paws skimming the carpet of pine needles below him. Skypaw didn't pay attention to anything other than the trees in front of him as he ran past, so the approaching end of the treeline surprised him. He skidded to a stop, huffing at the sudden interruption in his running.  
  
The Clan was visible up ahead, having only just finished crossing the stream. Skypaw's heart jumped at the sight. He needed to get down there and join the group when nobody would notice. He crept down the riverbank and hurried across the stones with barely a thought but the target before him. He slipped into the ranks of his Clanmates, making sure to look unbothered so that nobody noticed that he wasn't supposed to be there.  
  
The Clan, however, was strangely tense and silent. It was only when he caught a waft of HeatherClan scent that he remembered why. This land was no longer theirs - they were traveling on enemy territory now.  
  
With that thought, the Clan was suddenly surrounded by the darting forms of HeatherClan cats. The escort to the Gathering didn't come with a polite, if false, greeting this time. The scars of battle were still too fresh for such formalities.  
  
Skypaw ducked his head, hoping to stay hidden from the other Clan. He grudgingly moved to the center of the group, away from the outside where he could be singled out by any particularly vengeful cats. _StarClan, please just get me to this Gathering_ , he pleaded internally, eyeing who he thought might be Willowpelt to his far left.  
  
"Hello, Skypaw," Sweetrose's voice sounded to his right.  
  
Nearly jumping out of his fur, Skypaw's head whipped around to face the medicine cat. "Uh-"  
  
"Nothing much we can do about it now," she said, resigned. "I understand, anyway." Her face was tight with a grimace.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Something's going to happen tonight." She turned her head forward, eyes downcast. "Something important."  
  
"Y-Yeah?" Skypaw's stomach sank. It wasn't just an unfounded suspicion, then.  
  
"I knew I had to be here. That's why I left Bramblepaw back at camp - Roseheart isn't ready to be left unattended yet." She side-eyed him, green eyes glowing in the light of the moon. "I suppose you feel the same as I do, StarClan knows why."  
  
The bridge was finally visible ahead, calming the nerves of CloudClan. The pace picked up, and they reached the bridge in only a few more minutes. CloudClan was forced over the bridge first, HeatherClan at the back like a threatening wall keeping them from fleeing into their territory. _As if we want to be on your ugly territory anyway_ , Skypaw spat internally. He took a shuddering breath, crushing the sudden anger down.  
  
He crossed the bridge after Sweetrose, sticking close to her this time. He didn't feel like mingling with the other apprentices again, not with the trepidation clawing at his stomach. Not when the medicine cat was just as apprehensive. _Not when Cherrypaw said she would be there.  
  
_ Though, he somehow didn't expect Sweetrose to sit with the other medicine cats. He didn't know what he expected. Only FoxClan and SageClan had arrived thus far. The two medicine cats sat together while their apprentices stood behind them, heads bent in conversation.  
  
"Ah, Sweetrose!" The FoxClan medicine cat greeted. "Good to see you again."  
  
"You too, Fernpool," Sweetrose purred distractedly.  
  
"How's the past moon been treating you?" A black SageClan she-cat asked.  
  
"Oh, just fine, Ravensong, how about you?"  
  
Skypaw sent Sweetrose a pointed stare. She didn't look back at him. The other medicine cat, a dark brown tabby tom who he could tell was HeatherClan by scent, chose that time to join the group. His ear twitched in obvious discomfort at the discussion he had walked into.  
  
“Oh, hello Pinepelt!” Ravensong waved her tail. “Good of you to join us on this fine evening.”  
  
“Glad to be here,” he answered, voice tight. He very much didn’t want to be there.  
  
With a nod to Pinepelt, Fernpool leaned in to examine Skypaw’s face. “Now, who’s this?” She questioned. Her eyes zeroed in on the closed cut over his left eye for a second before moving on. “An apprentice? Didn’t you just get Bramblepaw last moon, Sweetrose?”  
  
“Yes, yes,” Sweetrose answered. “He’s an apprentice, but he’s not mine. Bramblepaw couldn’t come because a queen of ours, Roseheart, just kitted earlier today. It was very hard on her and she couldn’t be left alone.” She rested her tail on Skypaw’s shoulders. “This is Skypaw. Bramblepaw’s brother, actually.”  
  
“Well, I suppose he deserves an introduction then.” Fernpool smiled. “I’m Fernpool of FoxClan. The black she-cat is Ravensong of SageClan, and the brown HeatherClan one is Pinepelt. The other apprentices are somewhere behind me. Hawkpaw, the tom, is mine and Cloverpaw, the other one, is Ravensong’s.” The two apprentices’ heads shot up as their names were said before their ears flattened. They both moved forward to sit with the larger group.  
  
“Hmm,” Ravensong squinted at Skypaw. “So you're Bramblepaw’s brother? Why, I remember you being announced last Gathering! So… how’d you get that wound, then, young one? That wasn’t there before.”  
  
Skypaw glanced at the HeatherClan medicine cat. Sweetrose shot him a warning look.  
  
“Battle…” he said awkwardly. Sweetrose jabbed a paw into his side discreetly. “...training! Battle training.”  
  
“Aren’t you supposed to keep claws sheathed?!” Fernpool exclaimed. “How in the name of StarClan would you receive a wound like that in training? I’d say that’s _unethical_ , even, to use claws on a ‘paw like that.”  
  
“Don’t go judging another Clan, now, Fernpool,” Pinepelt spoke quietly. “I’m sure there’s an explanation.”  
  
“I think it looks cool,” Hawkpaw murmured.  
  
“Thank you, Pinepelt,” Sweetrose responded, voice even. “Yes, it was an accident. Skypaw, tell them.”  
  
Skypaw glared at her for putting him on the spot before turning back to the medicine cats. “Uhm, yeah! I actually, uh, fell into a bush! The thorn scratched me over the eye.”  
  
“That’s a bit uncool,” Cloverpaw giggled to Hawkpaw. Skypaw’s ears burned.  
  
A familiar yowl from the head of the clearing halted all conversation. The medicine cats turned towards the boulder where the leaders stood. Skypaw followed suit, trying to ignore the light of the Moonstream shining through the leaves behind them.  
  
Duskstar stood at the front of the rock. “CloudClan will speak first.” He glared at Falconstar from the corner of his eye. “Our Clan is thriving despite certain _unwarranted actions_ against us. The arrival of leaf-fall is of no concern to CloudClan. Our queen Roseheart has just given birth to two kits this morning. They will become strong warriors in due time."  
  
Skypaw saw Ravensong glance at him questioningly out of the corner of his eye. He gulped. Hopefully, she didn't realize the exact way he had gotten his wound from Duskstar's obvious defensiveness.  
  
Duskstar moved to make way for the next leader. Falconstar stepped forward, shooting a smug look at Duskstar. The HeatherClan leader turned towards the Clans below the boulder.  
  
"HeatherClan, too, is thriving," he announced, satisfaction seeping into his voice. "We have made a significant territorial expansion that will only make our Clan even better than before! Don't worry, Duskstar, your kind gift has not gone to waste."  
  
Duskstar's ear flicked as the sounds of FoxClan and SageClan gasping echoed through the clearing. The heads of HeatherClan cats raised a bit higher while the lashing of tails and bristling of pelts swept through CloudClan. Ravensong's eyes were practically piercing Skypaw. He refused to meet her gaze, forcing the fur on his back to lie down.  
  
Rowanstar went next, eyeing the two other leaders warily but otherwise acting as if nothing had occurred. "Prey in SageClan continues to run as usual. Our apprentice, Violetpaw, helped in driving a fox out of our territory. We commend her bravery."  
  
"Violetpaw! Violetpaw!" The Clans chanted after some hesitation, the tension of the previous message briefly holding everybody back. Skypaw joined in tentatively.  
  
Beechstar was the last to emerge. "FoxClan is as strong as ever," he reported. "Our queen, Stormheart, has given birth to two kits. The... unusually warm weather has kept the forest alive and lush."  
  
"If there is no more news to tell, then the Gathering is over," Duskstar concluded.  
  
"Wait!" Fernpool stood up. "I have something I'd like to discuss. With all four Clans." The light of the Moonstream against her pale gray fur made her glow white, like a warrior of StarClan on earth.  
  
_This is the something I needed to see_ , Skypaw thought, dread building in his gut.  
  
Beechstar sat down on the boulder. "You never informed me of this," he sighed, then, "continue on."  
  
"About... six or seven moons ago," she began, turning to face the rest of the Clans around her. "I received a prophecy during the visit to the Moonstream. It's not something we normally talk about, but I have reason to believe that all four medicine cats received it. StarClan rarely speaks to us so candidly - a prophecy is not meant to be taken lightly. It is something that needs to be acknowledged, not kept in secret. "  
  
"Well, what was it?" Someone called out.  
  
" _Blood shall be born anew, flowing in rivers of life and death. Beware that which others value most_ ," Fernpool recited. All the medicine cats tensed, including Skypaw. That was the prophecy that Bramblepaw and Duskstar’s… lives had given him! Only, not quite. Sweetrose shared a furtive glance with him.  
  
_That wasn't how our prophecy went_ , neither of them said.  
  
_Beware that which you value most_ , was how their prophecy went.  
  
“Cloverpaw and I both got it too,” Ravensong stood up, her apprentice at her side. Cloverpaw looked around apprehensively.  
  
“As did I,” Pinepelt followed.  
  
The medicine cats all turned to look at Sweetrose. She inhaled softly before she stood as well. “Yes, me too.” Skypaw could feel the tension in her as her leg brushed his side. Upon the boulder, Duskstar looked just as wary as they felt. Skypaw had almost forgotten that his father knew of it too.  
  
“Well,” Ravensong frowned. “Who are the ‘others’ we are warned about?”  
  
“What _others_ do we know of?” Rowanstar questioned. “I think it’s obvious that StarClan is warning us of each other. The _other Clans_.”  
  
“Did we all receive the same exact wording?” Pinepelt asked. “I know mine said ‘others.’” The other medicine cats all agreed, and once again looked at Sweetrose expectantly when she didn’t join in.  
  
“Th…” she started, eyes flitting around the cats before her wildly. Skypaw could feel the fear sparking from her pelt, only amplifying his own anxiety. “The prophecy… that _I_ received… said ‘you.’” She finally admitted, head dropping.  
  
“Well, the answer is right in front of us!” Falconstar yelled. “CloudClan is the problem!”  
  
“What do we do about it?” A cat called from the crowd.  
  
“Drive them out!” Another replied, angry and accusing.  
  
Murmuring broke out in the crowd. Falconstar stood up on the boulder, facing the Clans below. “They are weak! A nuisance! A waste of space! And they will be the end of us all if we don’t do what’s right!” Duskstar attempted to wrest control of the front away so that he could speak, but Falconstar shoved him off. “HeatherClan has already begun the process! We have taken what land they used frivolously, now it's your turn to take the rest. We can all gain from their removal!”  
  
“This is unjust!”  
  
Falconstar snarled at the crowd below. “CloudClan’s mere existence is unjust! Think of how well off we would all be if they didn’t hog all that for themselves.” He lashed his tail, green eyes gleaming in the moonlight. “While we all starve this leafbare, just remember that they will be gorging themselves on prey from their precious tunnels. Just imagine how life could be with them g-”  
  
The clearing was plunged into darkness.  
  
“Take this as a warning, Falconstar!” Duskstar yowled, leaping off the boulder. “You are speaking against StarClan’s wishes. Do not twist the words of the stars to your favor!”  
  
Duskstar landed among the cluster of CloudClan warriors not too far away from Skypaw and Sweetrose. Sweetrose ushered Skypaw forward as the Clan immediately began to leave. Sprinting down the wood bridge and away from the clearing suddenly full of hostile cats, Skypaw had no thoughts in his mind, just a simple command to _run_.  
  
As they fled over the hills, he was vaguely aware of the presence of HeatherClan cats giving chase, snapping at the heels of CloudClan and laughing wildly through the night. He had never run so fast before. It almost felt like flying through the air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lots of stuttering in this one huh
> 
> this chapter turned out a lot longer than i planned but there was no way to end it cleanly. it burnt me out a lot to the point where i had to start using that fighter's block site just to keep writing lol


	14. Chapter Twelve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which the storm breaks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning for kit death (not too descriptive), semi-major character death, natural disaster

“Skypaw?” Sweetrose called from across the camp. Tongue sticking halfway out, Skypaw raised his head from licking his paw where he sat near the fresh-kill pile. The medicine cat had just exited the nursery, looking exhausted.  
  
Skypaw stood and trotted over to her. “What do you need?”  
  
“Could you keep Lionkit occupied for a bit?” She asked, stepping to the side to reveal a small golden kit. “Roseheart and Hazelkit need to rest, but it’s important that she builds up his strength. Just play with her a bit inside the camp. It’s too cold and damp to bring her out on the rocks today. Flamefoot says rain is coming.”  
  
Lionkit peered up at Skypaw, eyes squinting over her small pink nose as though she was examining him. Skypaw shuffled his paws under the scrutiny.  
  
Roseheart was still nowhere close to being fully recovered from kitting despite the ten days that had passed, and both her kits remained much weaker than normal. Lionkit, the stronger of the two, had just opened her eyes two days ago and gained some sort of energy, but her brother Hazelkit had hardly moved except to nurse feebly.  
  
The whole situation had made Eagleclaw distraught, though he tried to hide it by tending to Roseheart's every need, and when Sweetrose kicked him out of the nursery he would go out patrolling or training Applepaw whenever possible. The calico apprentice looked ragged with all the extra training she was suddenly subjected to.  
  
The whole camp was on edge, in fact. The conflict at the Gathering spelled disaster for CloudClan, but thus far nothing had happened yet. Coupled with the uncertainty of Roseheart and Hazelkit's fates, a certain nervousness had wormed its way into the heart of every cat. Skypaw tried to hide his uneasiness by sticking close to Bramblepaw, Sweetrose, and Sunshadow, but there was nowhere to escape to now. He couldn't exactly ask someone else to take over in his stead. The kit had no one else her age to play with, and with Bramblepaw working, Skypaw was the youngest cat in the camp available.  
  
“Uh, yeah sure,” Skypaw agreed. Sweetrose nodded once and retreated immediately towards her den.  
  
Facing the kit, Skypaw swallowed the nerves suddenly rising in him. “Do you want to play… tag?”  
  
“I don’t know what that is,” Lionkit answered bluntly, voice edged with whiny frustration. Skypaw winced.  
  
“It’s a game where someone is ‘it’ and chases other people around,” Skypaw explained. “When they touch someone else, that person is now it and then has to tag another person.” He paused, waiting for a nod of confirmation from Lionkit, which he received grudgingly. “Alright, so I guess I’ll be it then. You go and run away.”  
  
The kit stumbled away from him, paws dragging on the cave floor. Skypaw watched with a sinking feeling in his gut. He let her get a decent distance away from him before inching forward, taking care to not advance too fast. After a few minutes, Lionkit already seemed to be tiring out, so Skypaw darted forward and tapped his nose to the kit’s spine.  
  
Lionkit lurched to the side, turning around to face Skypaw, eyes crossed in exhaustion and swaying on her paws. Skypaw lunged forward to steady her. The poor kit looked so weak that a fall was imminent.  
  
“Lionkit?” He asked, nudging her with his nose. “Are you okay?”  
  
“Yeah,” Lionkit sighed, whiskers drooping.  
  
Skypaw helped Lionkit sit up straight and then withdrew his paw. "Do you want to stop?" He asked tentatively. He didn't know how to act around kits. Lionkit and Hazelkit were the first ones to be born after Skypaw, so he had no experience with anyone younger than him.  
  
Lionkit nodded, face screwed up miserably. “I’m so tired. Why am I not allowed to sleep in mom’s nest? It’s _unfair_!” Her voice turned into a whimper at the end.  
  
Skypaw sat next to her with what he hoped was a companionable air. “You need to get your strength up now that your eyes are open, but your mom is too frail to take care of an… energetic kit right now.”  
  
“I don’t feel very energetic,” Lionkit muttered.  
  
“Compared to Hazelkit you are,” Skypaw reminded her. “Don’t worry about it, Lionkit. Your mom will be a lot better in a week and hopefully, your brother will be too! Then you can share the nest whenever you want without having to worry about disturbing them.”  
  
Lionkit nodded once and then bent her head in defeat. Skypaw took the time to examine her - after all, he had never personally seen a kit except for when he himself had been one. It would be different to see another kit from a wiser, taller viewpoint now that he was an apprentice.  
  
He knew he had been small at that age, that all kits are small, but Lionkit in particular was almost frighteningly so. Skypaw frowned at the sight of the patchy, haphazard clumps of dull golden fur sticking off of the kit every which way. She was still much too pink over her face and paws, and her ears were still folded down. Her eyes, still blue, were squinty, but at least they were open. She looked so delicate, as though she would break with a single touch. Skypaw hoped he had been careful enough when he had tapped her before.  
  
The two of them sat together in silence, apprentice and kit side by side, until a weak mewl was heard somewhere distant. Skypaw’s body snapped straight, his ears alert and twitching. There was only one possible source of a mewl, and it could mean something either very good or very bad. It sounded again, more of a cry this time and somewhat reminiscent of a word. He couldn’t make it out no matter how hard he tried.  
  
Then, “Sweetrose!” Roseheart’s voice was faint, warbling down the nursery tunnel. Skypaw shot to his paws, startling Lionkit out of her tired reverie.  
  
“I, uh- what?” Skypaw fretted under his breath, looking between the nursery in front of him and the medicine den across the cave.  
  
“ _Sweetrose!_ ” Roseheart wailed, this time coming out crystal clear. All the cats sitting around the camp turned to stare at his direction. The brown form of Eagleclaw rose from a group by the wall and raced towards him. The warrior didn’t spare him a glance, simply running around him and into the tunnel like he wasn’t there.  
  
Skypaw felt panic rising within him. He needed to get Sweetrose but he couldn’t just leave Lionkit out on her own. He cursed mentally and grabbed the kit by the back of her neck. _Everybody else heard Roseheart so someone else should be getting her now anyway,_ he reasoned, worried that he made the wrong decision as he trotted down the tunnel as fast as he could without jostling Lionkit. She hung limply from his jaws.  
  
“-ot breathing!” Skypaw caught the tail end of Roseheart’s sob as he rounded the corner into the nursery. “Why isn’t he breathing?!”  
  
Skypaw stopped at the edge of the tunnel, heart stuttering at the sight before him. Roseheart was a mess, thin, ragged, and shaking where she lay in her nest. Her eyes were wild as she stared at the pale brown kit laying limply by her flank. The little chest did not stir for breath.  
  
“Mom?” Lionkit whispered, eyes fluttering open. Skypaw set her down on the ground gently so that she could crawl towards the queen. Skypaw stepped back, unsure and fearing the worst for the family before him.  
  
“Mom!” Lionkit called, voice stronger yet trembling greatly. Roseheart wouldn’t look at her, eyes locked on her son. Shoulders shaking, Eagleclaw had his head bent over Hazelkit, back to his daughter. Lionkit staggered up to her parents and curled up next to Roseheart’s other flank, shivering.  
  
Just then, Sweetrose finally entered the den, nearly running into Skypaw. Bramblepaw followed her more slowly, eyes scrunched up and breathing heavily. He could hear her muttering under her breath. He moved forward to comfort her, offer encouragement, but Sweetrose turned to him.  
  
“Skypaw, it’d be best if you left,” she told him, voice high and choked. She wouldn’t look him in the eye.  
  
“O-Okay.” Skypaw nodded once. He backed away once more, trying to catch his sister’s gaze before he left, but her eyes remained closed. He gulped, fighting back a wave of sadness that threatened to overwhelm him.  
  
“It’ll be okay, Bramblepaw,” he whispered in his sister’s ear before he left. He only got a nod in return.  
  
He exited the nursery tunnel feeling lost at the tragedy he had just witnessed. He nearly didn’t notice how the cats sitting around in the camp earlier all turned to him as he emerged, but Thistletail rose up from the group and rushed towards him, catching his attention. The clear worry in the old warrior’s eyes was unmistakable. Skypaw froze where he stood and dropped his head when Thistletail reached him.  
  
Before he could question him, Skypaw told him. “I’m sorry, Thistletail, but Hazelkit is dead.”  
  


«——————»

  
The steady drumming of rain against the rocks outside was the only sound in the camp, interspersed by periodic, deafeningly loud thunderclaps that shook the ground. With each boom, Skypaw jerked awake from his sudden dozing.  
  
His legs, bunched underneath him, were stiff and cold against the hard cave floor where he had been laying all night. The ceremony for Hazelkit had begun the night before as expected, but it proved much harder for the Clan than Whitepool’s. The kit, so young and born so early, was so small that preparations for burial had only taken a pawful of minutes. Duskstar had left early for the digging. The family could hardly fit around his body, and the time for remembrance was full of _what could have been_ rather than _what was_. The loss of a kit was a harsh blow to everyone, and each aspect of the ceremony only emphasized it.  
  
Thus, the entire Clan had stayed out in the middle of the camp during the overnight vigil. Skypaw sat towards the back of the cave, in the middle row of the Clan’s semicircle. Darkbreeze sat to his left, Sunshadow to his right, but their presences provided no comfort, and Bramblepaw was too busy helping Sweetrose conduct the ceremony to sit with him. The night was a sleepless one, spent staring at the back of Roseheart’s head bent over Hazelkit, who was too small to be visible to anyone beyond the first row.  
  
Images of Lionkit’s irritated fatigue from the day before flitted along the back of his eyelids, haunting him. She was born just as early as Hazelkit, and still so much weaker than she should be. What if the loss of her littermate served as a final push to her own premature demise?  
  
Another rumble of thunder wrenched him out of thoughts as his eyes snapped back open.  
  
He watched with eyes weighed down with lack of sleep as Sweetrose took her place at the head of the semicircle once more, back to the mouth of the cave where the wind was blowing rain in. It was hard to see her, as the cave was dark even though it must’ve been past dawn already. The sky behind her was dark, almost green-tinged, until lightning struck somewhere in the distance, blinding Skypaw and making the whole Clan flinch.  
  
She lifted her head and announced, “The vigil is now over.” He could barely hear her over the sound of the rain and the thunder that followed. It was almost as though StarClan itself was mourning the loss of Hazelkit.  
  
Eagleclaw stood up from his position beside Hazelkit, his whole pelt seeming duller than usual. Raincloud and Thistletail followed, but Roseheart stayed where she was on the ground. She cried out, a piercing sound loud enough to be heard over the storm. Her grief was palpable, sweeping through the Clan. Everyone swayed, unable to contain their emotions but unable to weep with her. Badgerfang was the first one to stand, grabbing Lionkit off the ground by the back of her neck.  
  
The crowd did not part for the elders, as they were already in the front surrounding Hazelkit. Flamefoot and Shade-eye stepped forward to join Raincloud, who had taken Hazelkit into her gentle jaws. There was no need for anyone other than her, but it was tradition for all the elders to participate. The sight made Skypaw struggle to breathe, his throat closed with sorrow.  
  
The elders hesitated where they stood, glancing between Sweetrose and the cave entrance. Bramblepaw nudged Sweetrose, who had hunched over with her eyes closed. Her head shot up, staring at the rain outside anxiously. She turned to look at Skypaw, then Bramblepaw, face slack with dread and… resolution.  
  
“We cannot allow Hazelkit’s spirit to linger any longer.” Her voice trembled above the din. “The ceremony must commence now or else he may not pass on to StarClan. For safety reasons, I’d recommend that unless you have personal ties to the dead, you stay behind, but we cannot let him stay any longer. This needs to be as straightforward as possible - we can pay our respects completely in better weather.”  
  
The Clan stood as one as the elders turned and began heading down the rocks, picking their way slowly against the wind. Except for Badgerfang holding Lionkit, nobody stayed behind, despite Sweetrose breaking her silence to deliver the warning. The medicine cat acknowledged it with a sigh, but nothing else.  
  
Before Skypaw entered the onslaught, he glanced over his shoulder almost instinctively, gaze roaming over the shadowed corner where Thistletail and Eagleclaw had stayed to guard the camp during Whitepool’s burial. But nobody was there this time. He narrowed his eyes in confusion before the cat behind him nudged him forward and out of the cave.  
  
Skypaw kept his head down and ears flat against the torrent. He was soaked in an instant, rain piercing his thick fur and weighing him down. The climb down the hill was miserable, leaving his legs aching by the end of it. The rain blocked out all sound and sensation, hitting his back so hard that he could almost believe he would be bruised by the end of it. The wind yanked at the ends of his waterlogged fur, making it slap hard against his legs and stomach. He made sure to simply follow the movement of the paws in front of him.  
  
Lightning hit a tree somewhere near the river, flashing so bright that the entire sky lit up. Skypaw blinked against the imprint it left on his vision, only to nearly jump out of his fur from the thunder. A sharp crack was heard after it, and within a moment the treetop had vanished, collapsed into the forest.  
  
He made sure to breathe steadily, already feeling panic rise within him. The storm around him was incredibly disorienting, too loud and too bright and too hard. Too much. He just needed to follow his Clanmates.  
  
_Keep your mind off it,_ he thought, focusing his gaze on the movement of paws in front of him. __Focus on something else.  
  
He thought back to the cave. _I wonder who Duskstar assigned to guard the camp. Last time it was Eagleclaw and Thistletail, but this time both are involved, so who now?_ He imagined the faces of each individual warrior, but each one he remembered seeing in the main group leaving the cave. His heart stuttered in his chest. __Is nobody guarding the cave? What was Duskstar doing?  
  
Skypaw stopped walking when the realization hit him. Duskstar must have never returned from when he had left to dig the grave the night before. He had left early so that he could be back in time for remembrance, but the weather had begun turning poor shortly before.  
  
He was shoved forward, nearly landed face-first into the mud. He scurried forward as fast as he could with his paws sinking into the ground, not bothering to feel sheepish when alarm bells were ringing so prominently in his mind. He couldn’t even ask or warn anybody because the storm was too loud.  
  
The rain had transitioned to hail during his blunder. The ice pellets hit him even harder, and he was sure now that he would bruise. Trudging through the mud was growing increasingly hard as the wind blew from every direction.  
  
_I’m sure it’s fine,_ Skypaw tried to calm himself. __I’m sure he came back in a bit later than expected and I just didn’t see it. It’s fine. Just worry about Hazelkit’s ceremony right now.  
  
Finally, the paws in front of him slowed to a stop. Skypaw lifted his head to peer up the hill to his right. His gaze brushed over familiar brown ears, and he sighed with relief as he realized Duskstar had been with them all along. __Duskstar is fine. Everything is fine.  
  
They had reached the back of the hill, where Whitepool had been buried, but the area was a mess. The ground was a pit of mud, with no discernable hole dug out for Hazelkit. His forced calm vanishing, Skypaw’s anxiety spiked at the sight.  
  
The Clan milled about, unsure of what to do with no grave dug and no possibility of it being remade in such bad weather. Sweetrose clambered onto the hill. In matters of death, the medicine cat held authority.  
  
“Head back to camp!” She yowled, but nobody seemed to hear her. The wind was howling too loudly, swirling around the Clan and overwhelming the senses. Skypaw struggled to stay on his paws between the wind and the hail.  
  
Until the wind suddenly slowed, enough to actually be able to hear. Moans and cries rose up from the Clan in the resounding quiet, violating the ritual silence they were meant to keep during the burial process.  
  
“Please, stay calm everybody!” Sweetrose tried again, voice breaking with the effort. She looked half drowned, light brown pelt plastered to her sides and smeared with mud up to her belly. “Go back to camp now! We’ll bury Hazelkit when the weather clears and hope for the best.”  
  
“What is that?” Pebblepool called, staring with wide eyes at a point behind Skypaw.  
  
He turned around where he stood, ignoring the squelch of mud under his paws. His eyes scanned the stormy horizon behind him. The HeatherClan prairie was hard to see, dark and dreary as it was under the thick cloud cover. The roaring of what sounded like rushing water was heard in that direction, but Skypaw figured it was the river being pummelled by the wind.  
  
A dark shape was moving over HeatherClan, nearly blending in with the haze of rain and hail as it trailed along the ground. Skypaw watched it with growing alarm as it drew closer, taking the shape of a wall of clouds. He knew it all too well - his nightmares were becoming real life.  
  
He snapped his head back around, making eye contact with Sweetrose. Her eyes were dark and knowing.  
  
"Bramblepaw!" He yelled, but the wind was picking up again, tearing his voice away from him. His sister stood at the foot of the hill below her mentor, stretching her neck out towards Raincloud who was slumped over in the mud, curled around the brown mass that was presumably Hazelkit. The rest of his Clanmates were scattering haphazardly, falling in the mud and crashing into each other. There was nowhere to hide on the field.  
  
" _Bramblepaw!_ " Skypaw sobbed, pure fear choking him. She couldn't hear him.  
  
The roaring was nearly upon him when she raised her head to stare at the cloud wall behind him. Her gaze connected with his.  
  
The wind slammed into his side, lifting him into the air before he could even unsheathe his claws in the last effort to preserve his life. His paws fell out from underneath him, being pulled into the sky. It was everything from his dreams and more.  
  
Skypaw tumbled through the air, head over paws, limbs yanked out of their sockets. He couldn't move his neck against the force of his movement. The breath was stolen from his lungs. His claws were torn out forcefully. His eyes stung as debris scratched them, clumps of fur torn from his back. An intense pain erupted in his hind leg. He screeched, but could only hear the sound of the wind howling, circling around him. The only thing he could see was the swirling dark gray of storm clouds.  
  
It could have been minutes. It could have been hours. Skypaw was unable to think, unable to process anything beyond the way every part of his body was being torn apart.  
  
Until, finally, the wind weakened and he was flung away, through calm open air like a piece of prey. The air whizzed past his face, too fast for him to gasp for breath, too fast for him to attempt to move. He fell like a rock, helpless, towards the rapidly approaching ground.  
  
He dropped with a splash into the river instead. Skypaw sank, too shocked to move and swim to the surface, until he collided with the riverbed, jarring him into awareness. He flailed around, panic overcoming all else before he gathered his bearings and kicked off the floor. The current was stronger than usual, but he paid no mind, not caring at all where he wound up so long as he found solid ground.  
  
His head broke the surface with a gasp. Debris was falling from the sky into the water around him. Rain pelted his face, making his skin sting harshly. He blinked rapidly until the vague blurriness of his surroundings came together and revealed the collection of flat rocks in front of him. He swam towards it feebly with his body a trembling wreck. Latching onto the closest one, Skypaw heaved himself up and out of the river, shivering as water seeped out of his pelt. The wind was piercingly cold.  
  
He could’ve fallen asleep there had the thought of Bramblepaw not entered his mind. He stumbled to his paws, nearly slipping back into the river when his hind leg gave out. He stifled a yowl and straightened up despite his body screaming to lay back down.  
  
Looking around, Skypaw found that he was on the rock cluster at the edge of FoxClan. The stream next to him fed into the main river, serving as the boundary between FoxClan and SageClan. The Gathering island was only a short distance away, easily reached via the rocks. The forest stood ominously behind Skypaw, once so thick and dense, now stripped bare and flattened. Leaves were scattered across the ground between fallen trunks, shades of red and orange so different from the dark green of CloudClan’s pines.  
  
The bleak sight before him called to mind what Sunshadow had told him so long ago, on the first day of his apprenticeship. That the forest was so dense it blocked out all sunlight and darkened the hearts of FoxClan cats. He nearly snorted at that now - too many trees had fallen for the forest floor to remain dark any longer. But the humor of it was dull, dampened by the deep sense of loss. He was barely even a moon older than he was that day, yet so much had happened. Too much.  
  
Skypaw eyed the stream. It was wider than the one separating CloudClan and HeatherClan, but not as wide as the one between CloudClan and SageClan. Nevertheless, he wasn’t sure if he could make the swim, especially when he would need to cross the second stream. He turned to the Gathering island instead.  
  
He scurried across the rocks, wincing each time he stepped with his hind leg. It was slow going, but the distance was short, so he reached the bank of the island within a few minutes. He landed on the stones with a groan, the shallow water alleviating the sting on his pads slightly. The mud that caked his paws washed away, drifting down the river. Skypaw watched it with a sense of detachment, only for his attention to be drawn to a point on the far side of the island, almost out of sight. It looked like brown fur waving in the current.  
  
Skypaw scrambled towards it, breathing heavily with each painful pawstep. He ignored the way it was growing more and more agonizing to move his shoulder, the way his leg shot burning fire up to his spine, the way his flank was sticky and sore. His focus was solely on the fur in the water.  
  
He rounded the outcrop at the head of the island that had obscured the shore there from his position on the rocks. He stopped so suddenly that he almost crashed face first into the pebbles.  
  
Duskstar lay in the shadow of the outcrop, body splayed unnaturally, broken. His eyes were wide open in blank horror, mouth gaping to reveal blood staining his teeth and chin. The small waves lapping around him were red, playing with the ends of his fur in a light-hearted dance. Ropes of blood seeped from his chest where a thick tree branch protruded out.  
  
Skypaw fell against his father’s side, a violent sob escaping him. The wind calmed down and the rain returned, leaving the soft __pitter-patter against the pebbles the only sound besides his cries.  
  
If only his dreams had warned him of this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you couldn't tell, that was a tornado lol. i've never experienced a tornado irl so i watched a ton of youtube videos but i don't know if i did it justice, especially through the pov of a cat who doesn't know what a tornado is.
> 
> so this is the end of part one, and there'll be two more parts after this (each roughly the same length if not a bit longer oof). i wrote the first six chapters over the course of a month and a half during the summer, but my writing has slowed down because of school (another six chapters over the course of four months). i've been writing chapters way before they're posted, but it all finally caught up to me with this chapter. i only finished it this tuesday, and i feel like that really shows in the quality of this chapter? so i gotta take a break and get a head start on the next part so that i can maintain a regular posting schedule and some semblance of decent writing when i return.
> 
> i would've said a four weeks break from posting, but that brings us right to the beginning of may which really isn't a good time for me, between the SAT and AP exams, so! let's say six weeks from now the allegiances for part 2 will be posted. that's gonna be may 18th. i'll also include some extra content like character designs with it to make up for the break. see you then!


	15. II. Allegiances

**CLOUDCLAN**

DEPUTY: Aspenleaf — calico she-cat with green eyes  
MEDICINE CAT: Sweetrose — light brown she-cat with dappled coat  
WARRIORS: Mistfur — dark gray she-cat with lighter patches  _(Apprentice, Snowpaw)_  
Dustfall — pale gray-brown tom  
Badgerfang — black and white tom with pale blue eyes  _(Apprentice, Skypaw)_  
APPRENTICES: Snowpaw — white she-cat with gray patches  
Skypaw — gray tom with pale blue eyes  
KITS: Lionkit — golden she-cat with white paws  
ELDERS: Raincloud — blue-gray she-cat

 

**HEATHERCLAN**

LEADER: Falconstar — light brown tom  
DEPUTY: Hollycloud — black tabby she-cat  
MEDICINE CAT: Pinepelt — dark brown tabby tom  
WARRIORS: Cherrywhisker — dark ginger she-cat  
Hedgeflower — calico she-cat  _(Apprentice, Halfpaw)_  
APPRENTICES: Halfpaw — gray tom with blue and green eyes  
KITS: Vixenkit — red tabby she-cat

 

**FOXCLAN**

DEPUTY: Doestep — light brown tabby she-cat with white chest and paws  
MEDICINE CAT: Hawkpaw — brown tabby tom  
WARRIORS: Dawnsong — pale golden tabby she-cat  
Embercloud — black tom with lighter patches  
Alderface — tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes  _(Apprentice, Fallenpaw)_  
Gorsepelt — white tom  
Marshtail — light brown tom with blue eyes  
APPRENTICES: Hawkpaw — brown tabby tom  
Fallenpaw — cream she-cat with black markings  
QUEENS: Stormheart —dark gray she-cat with pale blue eyes (mother of Embercloud’s kit, Rainkit)  
KITS: Rainkit — dappled gray she-cat  
ELDERS: Mothclaw — black and white tom

 

**SAGECLAN**

LEADER: Rowanstar — ginger she-cat with amber eyes  
DEPUTY: Ripplestream — white tom with gray patches  
MEDICINE CAT: Ravensong —  ****black she-cat with pale blue eyes _(Apprentice, Cloverpaw)_  
WARRIORS: Rabbitleaf — brown and white she-cat  
Lakefur — blue-gray tom  _(Apprentice, Violetpaw)_  
Dewflower — golden tabby tom  
APPRENTICES: Violetpaw — pale gray she-cat with blue eyes  
Cloverpaw — white she-cat with light brown patches  
ELDERS: Brindlepelt — dappled brown tom

 

**OUTSIDERS**

KITTYPETS: Arthur — dark brown tom with green eyes  
Sophie — brown tabby she-cat with white chest and paws  
Molly — young tortoiseshell she-cat  
Catman — ginger tabby tom  
Ozzie — blue-gray tom  
Abigail — fluffy white she-cat with blue eyes  
Shade-eye — black tom with blind amber eyes  
Flamefoot — ginger tom with a graying muzzle  
Missy — old gray she-cat with a flat face  
ROGUES: Jamie — light brown tabby she-cat  
Harley — ragged black tom  
Poppy — calico she-cat  
Oliver — ginger tom with white paws  
Winter — white she-cat with gray patches  
Bluebell —  ****silver-blue tabby tom with pale blue eyes and matching collar  
OTHER ANIMALS: Callie —  ****silver and black female dog with black muzzle and ears

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i haven't had wifi all week until this morning so this is updated a day late, sorry about that!
> 
> so, some news. all of those exams really messed me up and took a lot of time and effort away from writing so. i actually.. haven't even finished chapter 13 yet? so i won't be able to return to weekly posting but i think i can aim for every other week, especially now that i have barely any homework in my post-exam ap classes. good news is i tend to go into a writing frenzy after taking a long hiatus (chapters 7-12 were products of that) sooo hopefully that's the case here! chapter 13 will be uploaded by june 1st
> 
> i also only managed to draw out two characters but i can hopefully add more to it over time so [here's](https://sta.sh/21g3i5804ogx) the folder, beware some spoilers


	16. Chapter Thirteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which he returns

Skypaw sniffed and stood up on shaky legs, pain nearly sending him back down. He trembled in the wind, merely a light breeze as the storm moved on. The rain now approaching a drizzle, he took a deep breath and cast one last look towards Duskstar’s body. He would never forget the sight. He hobbled away across the stones, staggering haphazardly as the river washed the blood from his paws. He skirted around the island to the other side, where the bridge to HeatherClan stretched across the water, barely intact. The stones cutting into his pawpads did nothing to distract him from the memory of his father’s blank eyes.  
  
The bridge only had two planks remaining, the rest of the wood caught along the banks of the river in splinters. Jumping onto the plank closest to him, his paws ached as the wood dug into them heavily, but the smoothness was a relief at the very least. Skypaw stumbled across it, flanks heaving with the effort, until his paws finally landed on the soft dirt along the bank of the river. He just needed to reach the stepping stones, then he’d be back in CloudClan territory. He would look for Bramblepaw…  
  
Thoughts hazy, Skypaw traveled on over the muddy, overturned prairie, until a dreadfully familiar voice called out behind him and drew his attention back. He turned to see the snarling face of Cherrypaw on the crest of the nearest hill. He was too tired to feel scared, or even guilty.  
  
“What are you doing on my territory, scatbrain?” She growled, claws flexing in the dirt. He eyed her disheveled pelt with dull acknowledgment.  
  
“In case you’re not aware,” he sighed, “there was just a storm. A wall of clouds with wind strong enough to pick up cats. I thought you would’ve noticed, Cherrypaw-”  
  
“I’m Cherry _whisker_ now.” She smirked, but something was off. Her eyes glinted with an emotion he couldn’t care to decipher. “After my _father_.”  
  
The guilt finally set in.  
  
“That’s, uh, a nice name.” Skypaw murmured. “Well, as you’d imagine, I’d like to get home now. Deadly storm, destruction, y’know…”  
  
“Not so fast!” Cherrywhisker snapped. “You don’t get to just walk away this time! Not after what you've done."  
  
"Really?" Skypaw glanced towards the stream separating him and home. "Because I uh, thought we settled this already? Is there something else I've done now that I'm not aware of?"  
  
"You fool!" She stalked forward. "It was never _settled!_ Nothing could settle it." She stilled suddenly, eyes widening wildly. "Except..."  
  
There was no way he could make a swift escape. Skypaw was too weak and injured to get across the stream by the time Cherrywhisker caught up, and even if he could she would easily follow him. He had to stay and try to talk her through it. _How am I more injured than her?_ He despaired.  
  
"Listen-"  
  
Claws embedded themselves in his back. Cherrywhisker's face screwed up in concentration as she suddenly loomed over him. He screeched in pain, trying to lean away from the claws that were jolting his shoulder dangerously, but she was only bringing him closer.  
  
"If I kill you now... it's the perfect cover..." she muttered, dragging him underneath her. He struggled, but he was still so weak. Frustration welled deep in his chest until she tore into his shoulder. Agony ripped through him, giving him the strength to finally yank himself away in a burst of adrenaline. He fell to the ground onto his bad shoulder, hard enough that something in it clicked into place in one last blaze of pain before it evaporated entirely.  
  
The ordeal stole his breath and energy, but he managed to stagger to his paws once more. Only an ache remained. The relief cleared his mind enough for the anger to replace all guilt and fear remaining.  
  
"What is wrong with you?!" Skypaw yowled. "The worst storm in the entire history of the Clans just decimated all four territories and you're worried about one _petty_ cat?" He could've cried, he was so _angry_. "What about your Clan?"  
  
"I just-" she panted, lunging towards him again. "Need-" Swipe. "To kill-" Dodge. "You." Unhinged laugh. "Then it's all over."  
  
"You- You useless fox-heart!" Skypaw slashed at her face with no care for technique or consequence. He was a bundle of unbridled rage unable to be contained, pent up over the last moon. "If you kill me, you're no better than I am."  
  
"I can live with that." Cherrywhisker shrugged, but her eyes flashed and she was slow in bending away from his claws.  
  
"You don't get to do that!" Skypaw shouted. "You don't get to pick which laws you follow and when!"  
  
No verbal response met him, only the sting of claws dragging across his chest. He leaped away and fled as fast as he could, ignoring the sound of her indignant squawk behind him. She had already almost caught up by the time he reached the stepping stones. He huffed in panic and crossed, eyes trained on the sight of a fallen tree with a small gap between it and the ground, just a few fox-lengths ahead.  
  
"Got you now, you little rat!" Cherrywhisker laughed triumphantly, right on his tail. He ran to the tree, acting as though he was going to squeeze under it until at the last moment he jumped on top. She dug her paws into the slippery mud, but the momentum carried her under the tree anyway, lodging her in securely.  
  
“I’ll kill you!” She screamed, thrashing around and scattering the clumps of muddy twigs and pine needles. “I’ll kill you even if it kills me!” Her voice broke at the end.  
  
Skypaw sat on top of the tree, hoping his weight would be enough to keep her trapped. But it also trapped him - he couldn’t leave or else she may get loose again. Muted desperation rose in him. He needed to find his sister!  
  
Staring at the ground beneath him with Cherrywhisker’s threats serving as a constant background noise, Skypaw contemplated the situation. There was a very real possibility that most of the Clan was dead. Being out in the open like that was no good for survival. Grief nearly choked him, but, _I’m alive and not as smashed up as I could’ve been,_ he conceded, so there must be a chance that there were other survivors.  
  
Bramblepaw was his littermate. She was his best friend. She couldn’t just die like that, right? Wouldn’t he know, deep down? Wouldn’t he feel it?  
  
He didn’t feel it.  
  
“I will find you, Bramblepaw,” he vowed under his breath, closing his eyes. “You’ll be alive, alright? You’ll be okay.”  
  
“Oh, Bramblepaw!” Cherrywhisker called. “Your sister, right? Related to a filthy murderer now, is she?”  
  
Skypaw opened his eyes to look down at the HeatherClan warrior. “What are you saying?”  
  
“Well, if you refuse to take the repayment-”  
  
“Don’t you dare touch her,” Skypaw snarled.  
  
They sat in silence for some time before an idea came to his mind.  
  
“Hey, Cherrywhisker?” He asked, peering down at her. “Did you ever hear how your father died?”  
  
The tree shifted underneath him as she began flailing around again. “No, and I don’t need to hear it, mangepelt!” She growled, but a dangerous tremble in her voice made the insult fall flat.  
  
Something in him twisted. But Skypaw sighed and knew she _did_ need to hear it. She needed to know it wasn’t senseless murder. She shouldn’t be willing to kill for a cat like Redwhisker, father or not.  
  
So he told her, about cornering Redwhisker in the cave, about the threats the warrior had made, about the decision Skypaw had come to for the safety of his Clan. Cherrywhisker was still by the time he finished, the sound of her quiet sobbing and murmurs of “no, no” echoing in his ears. With a sort of empty relief, a weight lifted off his chest in perhaps not the most conventional way, Skypaw stared at the ground where she had disturbed it with her thrashing. An acknowledgment of something he had been ignoring for a long time.  
  
“Please, Cherrywhisker,” Skypaw begged into the quiet forest. “Promise you won’t come after me, and I’ll let you go. I’m sick of this hostility.”  
  
“Okay,” she whispered. He could barely hear her.  
  
Skypaw nodded once and tentatively stepped off the thin tree trunk. It lifted up behind him, no longer forced to the ground now that his weight had disappeared.  
  
He glanced at Cherrywhisker and murmured, “Goodbye.” Her head was face down in the mud, body trembling. She didn’t give any sign she had heard.  
  
He began to pad away into the forest where so many of the pines were flattened to the ground. The once soft, spongy ground covered by the pine needles was now uneven, needles blown against trees and mud thrown all over the ground. The forest was unnaturally silent. The rain had slowed to a stop at some point, but distant thunder still occasionally boomed. The sound of local wildlife had yet to return. He felt as though he could’ve been the only one alive in the world.  
  
“Bramblepaw!” He called, voice torn with desperation. “Bramble!”  
  
“Skypaw!”  
  
His head shot to the left, where the voice had come from the top of the slope. Aspenleaf stood there, green eyes shining with tears. She rushed down the hill and barrelled into him, sending him flopping onto his back. He bit back a yelp as he landed on his still sore shoulder, but the relief of seeing a familiar face, his _clanmate_ , was too much, and he let out a watery laugh instead.  
  
"Oh, Skypaw, I'm glad you're okay," she laughed with him, but her voice sounded choked. She touched her nose to his cheek and stepped away, giving him space to stand back up. "Are you hurt? That's a stupid question - how badly? Where?"  
  
"I've got some cuts and scratches, and something happened with my shoulder but I think I fixed it," he reported. "The worst is my back left leg. I can't really walk on it. I think it’s broken." Aspenleaf eyed it warily but otherwise didn't look too worried. He supposed he could've had much worse - he was lucky to have even survived.  
  
"Let's get you back to camp now, okay?" She murmured, wrapping her tail around his shoulder. "Sweetrose will patch you up and you'll be right as rain soon enough."  
  
"Is-Is Bramblepaw-?" Skypaw asked, unable to finish the question as Aspenleaf turned her head away from him.  
  
"We haven't found her yet," She admitted. "I'm sorry,  I wish I had an answer for you."  
  
Skypaw swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded. "That's fine. I'm sure we'll find her. We'll both be okay."  
  
Aspenleaf didn't respond, just led him forward up the slope with her gentle touch, mindful of his injuries. She carried a limp of her own, centralized in her front right paw that was bent at an odd angle and held together with a haphazard splint made of sticks and roots he couldn't identify.  
  
The walk back was harsh on his aching body, jarring all the wrong injuries along the way as they took a winding path around all the felled trees. By the time they reached the camp, the clouds had parted slightly to reveal that it was already well into sundown. The day had passed in a whirlwind of grief and horror.  
  
The climb up the rocks took three times as long as normal and was ten times as painful, but Aspenleaf was a constant at his side, helping to ease him up and offer words of encouragement. Finally, she pulled him up onto the floor of the cave by the back of his neck, looking just as exhausted at the end of it as he felt.  
  
"Is that Skypaw?" Sweetrose cried from across the cave, and within an instant was at his side. The silhouetted heads of a small group of cats at the back of the cave rose to stare in his direction. "Thank StarClan, thank StarClan," she muttered, nosing various points along his flanks and limbs. After the sudden exam, she lifted her head to look at him properly.  
  
"Did you find anybody while you were out there?" She asked, panic clearly lacing her tone. Skypaw had never seen her so distraught.  
  
Grief swept over him once more as the memory of empty amber eyes flashed through his mind.  
  
"Yeah," he croaked. "Duskstar."  
  
"Where is he?" Sweetrose asked, bending closer urgently.  
  
"On the Gathering island," he sighed and looked away. "Dead."  
  
"Oh." Sweetrose pulled back, seeming too small all the sudden. "Oh. That is very bad news."  
  
"What do we do?" Aspenleaf asked, eyes flashing with alarm in the dim light.  
  
"I-I don't know," Sweetrose whispered.  
  
"What do you mean?" Skypaw asked, glancing between the two she-cats with growing fear. "Cedarsong becomes the leader next, right?"  
  
"That's the problem," Aspenleaf let out a bone-deep sigh, exasperated in a sort of helpless way. "Cedarsong's dead, too."

«——————»

  
The silence of the den was overwhelming but much welcomed. It was completely dark by the time Sweetrose had bustled him into her den to treat his wounds, but she was somehow still able to move around and work anyway. His leg had been put in a splint and a poultice placed on his shoulder - something about it being dislocated - before she just settled down next to him and began grooming his fur down. He sat still and let her, closing his eyes and enjoying the feeling.  
  
His mother hadn’t been found yet, and for all he knew she was dead, so he might as well enjoy being treated like a kit for the last time. Maybe Sweetrose took some comfort in the motion, too.  
  
They sat without talking for some time until his fur was smoothed down and clean of all debris. When she drew back hesitantly, he dared to speak.  
  
"What will you do now?"  
  
Sweetrose sighed as if she had been expecting the question. "I will need to name a new deputy before moonhigh, I suppose. May StarClan guide me."  
  
"How are you supposed to do that?" Skypaw asked. "You're not the leader. No offense."  
  
"Oh, yes, I'm well aware. But we need to keep some semblance of order in all this, and we can't do that when there's no deputy by moonhigh. Appointed by the leader or not."  
  
The quiet settled for a brief moment until Skypaw asked, "How will you choose?"  
  
"It's not a hard choice to make." Sweetrose snorted bitterly.  "There's only three warriors."  
  
Skypaw left it at that, letting Sweetrose think about the decision some more. He didn't want to be a nuisance. While she thought, his mind wandered to his family, his Clanmates. Who else was alive? How many had died? The loss was overwhelming.  
  
Guilt tore through his chest. How did he of all cats survive? Cedarsong was a good and loyal deputy, and all he was was a dirty murderer, a useless 'paw. He should've let Cherrywhisker deal with him properly back by the border.  
  
Sweetrose stood up, disturbing the silence and the fur on his back in doing so. She drew him up alongside her with a nudge and led him out of the den, into the camp where the waiting faces of Aspenleaf, Dustfall, Badgerfang, and even little Lionkit stood.  
  
"Are we all here?" Sweetrose asked, and with a solemn nod from Badgerfang, she commenced.  
  
"After careful consideration, I’ve come to a decision that I believe is best for our Clan.” Her eyes stared straight ahead, landing on no one in particular. “I may not be leader, but out of necessity, I say these words before StarClan so that the spirits of our warrior ancestors may hear and approve of my choice. The new deputy of CloudClan is Aspenleaf.”  
  
Aspenleaf blinked owlishly. “O-Oh.” She stood and stepped forward tentatively. “I accept.”  
  
Sweetrose nodded once and immediately retreated back into her den. Skypaw watched, torn, before he padded over to Aspenleaf. Badgerfang and Dustfall surrounded her, offering weak congratulations despite no one being in a celebratory mood.  
  
“Nice job, Aspenleaf,” he spoke up, adding his own contribution.  
  
She only gave him a tight smile back. “Thanks, Skypaw. I just wish the circumstances were better. Much better.”  
  
“So, uhm, how is this going to work?” Skypaw asked, uncomfortable. “Are you going to get your nine lives then?”  
  
“Yes, tomorrow,” Sweetrose interjected suddenly, appearing next to Skypaw. He jumped in surprise as she dropped a bundle of leaves and seeds onto the ground in front of her. “In the morning I’ll need to check on the Moonstream to see if it’s fit for Aspenleaf to receive her lives. I need a warrior to accompany me, please.”  
  
“Let me go!” Skypaw leaned forward earnestly. “Let me come with you.”  
  
“I-I shouldn’t, you’ll need to rest,” Sweetrose sighed. “But...”  
  
“Please, Sweetrose,” Skypaw pleaded. Desperate loneliness burned his throat and pushed him forward. She was the closest thing he had to family left.  
  
Her eyes betrayed her brief inner conflict before she closed them. “Okay,” she whispered, voice shaky. Skypaw didn’t look too much into it, simply glad that she agreed - they were all emotionally vulnerable right now, and she deserved to at least have her privacy without someone prying.  
  
“But that means you go to sleep _now_.” She opened her eyes and fixed him with a stern look. “I mean it. You need to rest.”  
  
"Alright," Skypaw acquiesced, grumbling. He would have to do this on her terms.  
  
“Here, take some thyme and poppy seeds before you go.” Sweetrose nudged some of the herbs towards him. He obliged with a frown before turning away as she began passing the rest to the warriors.  
  
He padded off to the apprentice's tunnel, skirting around clumps of twigs and pine needles that had been swept into the cave by the storm. He could barely see as he padded down to the alcove at the end of the tunnel, the weak light of dusk not reaching far enough. Navigating by scent, he found the nests had been thrown to the back wall of the den in a messy heap.  
  
It was only at the prospect of having to remake his nest, right then and there, that the exhaustion and pain of the day truly hit him. Skypaw blinked back tears, swaying on his paws until he sat down heavily, resting poorly on his bad leg and sending a sharp ache through his body.  
  
Everything had been taken away from him - his parents, his sister, his mentor, even his _nest_ of all things.  
  
He didn't even know if any of the other apprentices were still alive. He only really needed to rebuild his own nest, but the idea of one of the others walking in and feeling that same insurmountable loss - it made him feel sick. The least he could do was alleviate this one thing.  
  
So he set about rearranging the scattered moss, forming that familiar group of three nests near the tunnel where Applepaw had so often leered at him before he fell asleep. His nest was last, set towards the back, away from the others. He snorted as he set the last piece in. He had felt so isolated before with this setup, but nothing was as lonely as remaking nests for cats he probably wouldn't ever see alive again.  
  
Skypaw sighed wearily and laid down in his nest. His mind was too loud for sleep, worrying about his family and Clanmates, but sleep did come, and it came with a vengeance. Nightmares of the storm plagued him once more, only this time a knowing dread was present in the background, replacing the confusion of before. He had experienced it for real now - the dreams were no longer warnings, but memories.  
  
He didn't get much sleep that night.  
  
Skypaw woke from his dozing with a start, the feeling of water running through his pelt all too horribly familiar. With a frustrated grunt, he realized that he could vaguely see the outline of the tunnel. _It must already be dawn_ , he despaired, and decided to just get up for good. There wasn't any chance of getting more rest until he needed to be awake anyway.  
  
He shuffled down the tunnel, limbs stiff and sore. He could hardly move his shoulder, inflamed and aching as it was, and his hind leg shot pain into his lower back with every step.  
  
Skypaw blinked against the pale dawn light as he stepped into the camp. There were normally already cats awake, bustling about to prepare for patrols or just to relax. Now, it was completely empty, silent except for the whistling breeze, still stronger than normal in the aftermath of the storm. The sound was compelling, and he found himself making his way to the mouth of the cave, where he sat and stared out over the territories.  
  
He sat there for some time, watching the sun rise over the destruction. Its light had never felt so harsh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter kinda killed me and took me incredibly long to write so sorry if it feels... disjointed?


End file.
